MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
ILLINOIS FALL TROUT: Opened Saturday with generally good reports with the good weather. Nearby sites include Axehead, Belleau, Busse Woods North, Green, Horsetail, Sag Quarry East and Wolf (Cook County); Silver, Pickerel and Grove (DuPage); Bird Park Quarry and Rock Creek at Kankakee River SP (Kankakee); Big Lake at Silver Springs SFWA (Kendall); Banana and Sand at Illinois Beach SP (Lake); Spring Grove Hatchery Pond (McHenry); Lake Strini and Van Horn Woods (Will).
CHAIN: Triangle: Crappie moving into channels on Fox and suspended in holes on Fox and Pistakee. Muskies active on suckers, bucktails and Shallow Raiders on Marie, Channel and Catherine. Some outstanding perch in 20 to 25 feet on Channel. Walleye going on minnows. Lower river remains nowake. Updates at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
CHICAGO RIVER: Jeffrey Williams: While trying for crappie at State Street, caught perch to 9 inches on fatheads.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN: Mike Norris: BIG GREEN: Excellent smallmouth (to 5.5 pounds) triggered by water cooling to 54 degrees; best from around docks to mid-depth flats with healthy patches of coontail. FOX: Drifters taking some walleye with black-tail chubs on edge of drop-offs. Still drifting main basin for crappie.
LAKEFRONT: Park Bait: Some perch limits at 87th. Still some trout and a few kings around Montrose and other harbors. Adrian Medina: Steelhead from Chicago shore. Capt. Bob Poteshman: Caught a monster laker in 160 feet straight out of North Point. Salmon Stop: Boats working shallow (20 to 30 feet). Big lakers deep. Bottom fishing from pier decent on shrimp and spawn. Capt. Scott Wolfe: Boaters best in 125 to 175 feet for coho, kings, big lakers and occasional brown or steelhead. SNAGGING: Coho and Chinook only and only at Lincoln Park Lagoon (Fullerton bridge south), Waukegan (north basin), Winnetka Power Plant discharge area and Jackson Harbor (inner and outer).
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Christian Howe: Limited muskie effort because of weather; suckers best if you can find them. Walleye taking chubs or extralarge fatheads on outside weed lines. Howard Bass: Suggested 18 to 30 feet for walleye with jig and minnow. Crappie in 18 to 22 feet over wood. Kurt Justice: Muskies (where suckers available) and crappie (slabs in 13 to 15 feet) are very good. Walleye are good. NOTE: Justice emailed that hatchery-raised brook trout (proof of origin required) can be used as bait in place of suckers.
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Slez’s: Perch will be in soon in Cal Park and up the river. Steelhead and lakers are coming soon, too.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN: Tackle Haven: Some steelhead and a few dark kings at Berrien Springs. No whitefish off the piers yet.
SHABBONA: Lakeside: At least six muskies caught over the weekend. Crappie remain shallow in cribs. Water cooling through mid-50s.
WISCONSIN RIVER: Erik Brztowski: Improving walleye making way to dams. Castle Rock dam has been hot: muskieS (to 50 inches), walleye and white bass.
WOLF RIVER: Bill Stoeger: Nice walleye with some crappie and perch. White bass probably over.