MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
DERBY: Henry’s 15th annual Spring Coho Derby at Navy Pier, 7-11 a.m. Saturday, (312) 225-8538.
INLAND TROUT: Season opens Saturday. Fishing license and inland trout stamp needed; daily bag is five. Nearby waters: Cook County (Axehead, Belleau, Green, Horsetail, Sag Quarry East and Wolf lakes); DuPage (Silver, Pickerel, Grove); Kankakee (Bird Park Quarry, Rock Creek); Kendall (Big Lake); Lake (Banana, Sand); McHenry (Lake Atwood, Piscasaw Creek); Will (Milliken). EARLY SEASON: Early catch-and-release is open at nine statewide early sites; nearby are Rock Creek, Apple River and Pine Creek.
SMELT: Saw two net pulls total 20 smelt at the Shedd, otherwise nothing opening night Monday. Regulations are the same: No open fires, no enclosed tents, no alcoholic beverages, no parking or driving on the grass or sidewalks, don’t destroy property or dump coals other than in designated trash receptacles, netting begins at 7 p.m., netters must be out of park by 1 a.m. NOTE: Carl Vizzone: Boaters lot at Montrose will be open 6 p.m.-2 a.m. for netters.
LAKEFRONT COHO/TROUT: Park Bait: Coho and browns are around at Montrose when the weather cooperates; couple of nice pike. Slez’s: Weather limited boats; some coho at Port of Indiana and Portage Riverwalk on skein, crawlers, squid or shrimp. Salmon Stop: Government Pier still open, some coho there and South Rocks, boaters getting coho shallow.
AREA LAKES: Most focus will be on the trout opener, but the weather forecast suggests all kinds of fishing should kick in this week. Ken “Husker’’ O’Malley: ChatterBaits best in high stained water for bass.
CHAIN: Arden Katz: Crappie and perch going in the channels; water in upper 40s. Triangle: Crappie No. 1 bite; spawning walleye shallow; white bass are fair, warmth and sun will help. COOLING LAKES/STRIP PITS: Hours are 6 a.m.-sunset. MAZONIA/BRAIDWOOD: Rob Abouchar: Braidwood in upper 70s (hot side) and upper 60s (cold); bass hitting plastics (black with blue fleck best) in shoreline grass; tournament season beings this weekend (Happy Hookers Braidwood Open). LaSALLE: See FOTW for a monster flathead; otherwise weather has been the determining factor. HEIDECKE: Wind made it tough on opening day Monday.
FOX RIVER: Violetta Talley: Smallmouth stacking in slack water, taking smaller jigs or Ned Rigs; water in low 50s; some muskie hitting. Note: Between the Stratton Lock and Dam and Algonquin Dam remains no-wake. Updates at foxwaterway.com.
N. WIS.: Gamefish season is closed. MINOCQUA: Kurt Justice: Bluegill (weedy areas in 6-12 ft.) and perch (deep mud flats) are good to very good; ice OK now but rain and 60 degrees coming. ST. JOSEPH, MICH.: Tackle Haven: Coho from St. Joe south, including a few limits; pier is day-to-day; still steelhead at Berrien Springs.
SHABBONA: Lakeside: Some crappie and one walleye, water is 47; shop hours are 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Park hours are 6 a.m.-10 p.m. WOLF RIVER, WIS.: FREMONT: Bill Stoeger: “It is going nuts up here.’’ One day they had 15 walleye in less than two hours; best anchored with plain-hook river rigs, some drifting and jigging.