MIDWEST FISHING REPORT

OVERVIEW: Hoping perch arrive in force; waiting on ice up north. AREA LAKES: Crappie fishing main focus. Ken “Husker” O’Malley: Crappie and bluegill decent on L&S custom plastics under a slip float on outside weed lines.

AREA RIVERS: CALUMET: More trying for perch, few catches, but they should go with cooler water. CHICAGO: Charles Zheng: Caught a good perch. As he emailed, “It is just a matter of time now.’’ FOX: River around flood stage at Montgomery. Zone A (Algonquin Dam to Stratton Lock and Dam) remains no-wake, updates at foxwaterway. com or (847) 587-8540. Pete Lamar: Tributaries high but clear over the weekend in upper reaches, two high and fast to wade in lower areas, smallmouth are in deep holes and slow water. ILLINOIS: Projected to fall below flood stage by the weekend at Starved Rock and LaSalle.

KANKAKEE: High, but well under flood stage.

CHAIN: All three zones are no-wake. Updates at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540. Triangle: Jigging walleye in the deep holes; muskie anglers dragging suckers around and raising fish; Pistakee has crappie and bluegill going.

GREEN LAKE, WIS.: Mike Norris: BIG GREEN: Plenty of smallmouth action; water holding in upper 40s, so he’s concentrating on deepwater ledges along major points; walleye trollers moderate success with No. 7 Shad Raps over deep-water weeds.

LAKEFRONT: Waiting on perch to come in good; smattering of reports at Navy Pier and 87th. Park Bait: Some trout at Diversey and Belmont.

PASSES: Pier passes take effect Nov. 15. They will be available at Henry’s and Park Bait. Parking passes also available. SNAGGING:

Coho and Chinook only and only at Lincoln Park Lagoon (Fullerton bridge south), Waukegan (north harbor basin), Winnetka Power Plant discharge area and Jackson Harbor (Inner and Outer).

MADISON, WIS.: No-wake lifted on Mendota; still on for Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa. Norris: Shore angling for walleye is top story: Looking for shallow walleye, then casting suspending jerkbaits and retrieving twitch, pause, twitch; boaters vertical jigging steep break lines in 20-30 ft.

N. WIS.: Kurt Justice: Muskie (suckers or trout on quick-sets best), walleye (gravel humps or transition zones in 25-40 ft.) and whitefish (deep breaks outside spawning areas) are good to very good; launches were still open, but days of below-freezing weather coming with icing.

NW IND.: Slez’s: Steelhead picking up and will only get better, best on voodoo jigs tipped with butter worms or wax worms or use spawn sacs.

SHABBONA: Lakeside is closed until ice fishing. Park hours are 8

a.m.-5 p.m.