MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
DERBY: Kankakee River Fishing Derby( kankakee fishing derby. com) runs through Sunday. Notables on Big Board include Paul Smith’s 7-13 walleye, James Merritt’s 23-11 flathead.
AREA LAKES: Bluegill top bite. Ken “Husker” O’Malley: “Summer patterns in full swing” for bass, good early on Texas-rigged worms in weed pockets. Pete Lamar: Bass going on frogs in heavy vegetation; bluegill in open water beyond weed edges.
AREA RIVERS: FOX: Pete Lamar: Not as high as expected, but don’t wade unfamiliar water; mixed species feeding close to shore out of current. ILLINOIS: Falling under flood stage at Starved Rock and LaSalle by mid-week. KANKAKEE: Receding, high and stained, but good fish being caught as the derby shows.
CHAIN: Zones A and B on river no-wake, but Co pen with a debris advisory. Updates at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
Triangle: Catfish good with the warming waters; look for bluegill shallow and around shaded areas; with high water, walleye going around current areas; try for white bass in river.
DELAVAN/GENEVA, WIS.: DELAVAN: Dave Duwe: Fishing excellent, go early to avoid crowds. Largemouth great, either under north-shore piers or on deep weed line points; bluegill outstanding in 12-15 feet with a split-shot rig with a small leaf worm. GENEVA: Duwe: Go early to avoid boat traffic; walleye are “phenomenal’’ at night in 12-15; rock bass in same depth; bluegill in 6-8; mallmouth on weed lines in 15-20.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WIS.: Mike Norris: Warmed into 70s; for largemouth, pitch Senkos around/under docks or cast frogs in slop; smallmouth feeding on crayfish, active over rocks; topwater for both good early; walleye slowing as they move deeper.
LAKEFRONT: Park Bait: Perch limits early at Montrose on lakeside on soft shells, minnows, some artificials; smallmouth at Belmont, Diversey and Montrose; drum and carp at Montrose. Capt. Bob Poteshman: “Chunky’’ coho in 75-120 off Chicago to Evanston; lakers good deeper than 120; out of North Point, good coho with a few kings and lakers from the hill to deeper than 200, best is 120-160, varies daily. Capt. Scott Wolfe: Lots of big coho regularly out of Waukegan, best in 80-130; occasional steelhead, laker and smaller kings.
N. WIS.: MINOCQUA: Kurt Justice: Water warmed well into 70s; smallmouth (deep weed edges, shallower rock tops in 14-18), largemouth (wacky-worming or using Sweet Beavers in cabbage flats) and bluegill very good; normal patterns setting up.
NW IND.: Slez’s: Perch solid from Burns Ditch to Michigan City in 25-40, glow beads and minnows best; coho good straight out from Ditch to U.S. Steel in 65-70, few steelhead and kings mixed in; pier fishing for steelhead and perch varies daily.
SW MICH.: Tackle Haven: Nice kings in 185-200; lots of coho and steelhead in the top 50; perch good in 30 feet off “The Chalets’’; walleye, smallmouth and catfish going in river.
SHABBONA: Lakeside: Hot bite hybrids; otherwise bass (dam face or weed lines), catfish (dam face, deep trees, road bed), walleye (dam face, road bed) and crappie (cribs). Fireworks on Thursday. Park hours 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
WOLF RIVER, WIS.: Bill Stoeger: Water in mid-70s; some crappie in wood; most bluegill finished spawn; walleye take work.