MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
COHO: NORTHWEST INDIANA: Slez’s: Coho started Sunday at Portage Riverwalk and Michigan City. Boaters catching coho and browns at Gary Light.
STURGEON: Sturgeon-spearing season on the Winnebago System opens Saturday. Previous permits required. Truck travel is limited at best. Better water clarity this year. LAKEFRONT PERCH: Even with challenge of having to bust holes some days, South Side slips and the Calumet continue to produce. Slez’s: Size ‘‘definitely went up.’’ Some good perch being caught the last few days. PASSES: Chicago Park District parking passes ($20, two months) and $10 pier passes may be bought at Northerly Island Visitor Center. Call (312) 745-2910 first. NAVY PIER: North side open for anglers. Discounted angler parking is $9 daily if out by 10 a.m.
AREA LAKES: Wildly varied conditions. Ice fishing is done (or about to be) south, but northern areas should keep going, even with the forecast rain. Dave’s Bait: North, 8 to 12 inches of ice. Best bite is panfish early and late. Ken ‘‘Husker’’ O’Malley: South of I-80, about 5 inches of ice but going fast. Bluegills and crappie excellent on plastics over main basin. Bass decent on tip-ups along deep weed lines.
CHAIN: Jason Le: Channel for panfish over weekend. Arden Katz: Very good bluegills in 4 to 6 feet Tuesday on Channel. Ice should hold at least through the weekend. ICE ACCESS: Places to access Chain ice are at tinyurl.com/346dsmh7. GREEN LAKE, WISCONSIN: Mike Norris: Main section of Big Green just freezing over. Pike and walleye big draw on Puckaway (focus on western basin); some driving vehicles. Fox Lake has 13 inches of ice and vehicles driving everywhere.
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN: Howie’s: Ice not safe for fishing usual spots for whitefish.
LAKEFRONT: Some lakers mixed with perch. Salmon Stop: Some trout off pier in Waukegan.
MAZONIA: Ice fishing done, but Mark Kawa caught big pike Saturday for FOTW.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: MINOCQUA: Kurt Justice: Wind and cold helped dry out slush to improve travel. Perch (over mud in 22 to 35 feet), bluegills (weeds and edges in 8 to 12 feet) and crappie (suspended off bottom over deep basins in 24 to 38 feet) good. Use extreme caution with truck travel. POWERTON: Boat fishing reopens next Wednesday. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SHABBONA: On Monday, there was 5.5 inches of ice. Ice fishing should hold at least through the weekend. February hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
FISH OF THE WEEK
On his only day of ice fishing this season Saturday, Mark Kawa caught a 37.25inch northern pike (‘‘gator’’) from Mazonia.
‘‘Came on a large shiner setup on a Finicky Fooler,’’ he emailed. ‘‘Ice was 3.5 to 4.5 inches, but some areas much thinner due to geese. One day on the ice and a trophy pike for Illinois. Can’t beat it! Couldn’t have done it without my buddy [Mark ‘Ike’ Eichelkraut] and his daughter Jilly.’’
Mazonia is a pike spot. The Illinois-record pike (26 pounds, 15 ounces) was caught Nov. 9, 1989, by Walter Klenzak from a Kankakee County strip pit, now called Monster Lake at Mazonia South.
GO & SHOW
Saturday: Midwest Musky Club Fishing & Outdoor Show, Village Sportsman’s Club, Alsip, midwestmuskyclub.com. Saturday-Sunday: NICC Ice Fishing Derby and Winter Festival, Chain O’Lakes, headquartered on Thirsty Turtle Beach on Channel Lake, Antioch, mynicc.org/event-info/fishin-derby. Sunday: Henry Decoy Show, Three Sisters Park, Chillicothe. See Facebook.