MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
AREA LAKES: Ice fishing returned, but snow cover has made for tough conditions. Use caution. PUBLIC-SITE ICE-FISHING REGULATIONS: Ice-fish at your own risk, unless noted. Ice fishing is not permitted at the Chicago lagoons, Forest Preserve District (FPD) of Kendall County, FPD of Will County or FPD of the Kankakee River Valley. FPD COOK: Ice-fishing lakes are Arrowhead, Axehead, Beck, Belleau, Big Bend, Bode South only, Bullfrog, Busse main and south, Flatfoot, Green, Horsetail, Ida, Maple, Papoose, Powderhorn, Saganashkee Slough, Sag Quarry, Tampier, Turtlehead and Wampum. FPD DuPAGE: Permitted most sites. No ice fishing at Spring Creek Reservoir. Late-night fishing allowed at Deep Quarry but must be out of preserve by 11 p.m. FPD KANE: Permitted at Burnidge FP/Paul Wolff Campground and Oakhurst FP. LAKE FP: When conditions allow, ice fishing is permitted from 6:30 a.m. to sunset at Banana and Independence Grove south bay and from 6:30 a.m. to one hour after sunset at Sterling. MAZONIA SFWA: Open now for open-water or ice fishing. McHENRY: Ice fishing at Hollows (Lake Atwood and West) only. SILVER SPRINGS: Use east entrance.
AREA RIVERS: CALUMET: Slez’s: Weather slowed perch anglers; best at Torrence Bridge and up. CHICAGO: Henry’s: Some perch on Riverwalk, but fishing has slowed.
CHAIN O’LAKES: Triangle: Ice fishing is happening. Most are staying shallow because of the thin ice in deeper water and current areas. Use extreme caution. Crappie and bluegills (Wonderbread hot color in jigs) being taken shallow, along with occasional pike. ICE-FISHING ACCESS: Most places run some version of $5 parking, which usually is taken off food or bar bill. Among them are Hermann’s Rest-A-While (Nielsen’s Channel), Granny’s Lakeside Diner (Spring Lake Marina), Choppers Bar and Grill (Channel), Sandbar Bar & Grille (Marie), Oak Park Lounge (Pistakee Bay), Musky Tales Bait Shop (near the old Mentone’s), Famous Freddie’s Roadhouse (T-Channel) and Barnacle Bob’s (Marie). LAKEFRONT: Weather limited effort. PASSES: $6 passes for selected piers in Chicago harbors (Montrose, Belmont, Diversey, DuSable, Burnham, Jackson) and $10 parking passes (DuSable, Burnham fisherman’s lots) are available at Henry’s and Northerly Island (business hours).
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: MINOCQUA: Kurt Justice: Ice travel is good (even trucks) because ice is generally 20-plus inches, but bitter cold limited effort and overall fishing is fair to good.
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Slez’s: Some good steelhead in the tributaries over the weekend. A few ice-fishing at Willow Slough.
SHABBONA: Lakeside: A few open pockets from geese remain, but there’s ice fishing in the campground cribs and Somonauk Bay. Lakeside is open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.