MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
COHO: Question is what winds will do to bite. Quinn Wunar: Caught shore limits last week in Indiana, then watched Ray Raymond get his first Chicago coho Monday at Burnham. John Carlson: Limited out of Portage, Indiana, in an hour and 45 minutes last week (spawn sacks under a float, down 4 feet). Schools moving in and out. Slez’s: Coho very good at Portage Riverwalk and Michigan city pier; skein, squid or tube jigs tipped with waxies best.
PERCH: Bob Johnson: Caught personal-best perch (15.5 inches, girth of 11.5 inches) in limit catches, plus a few coho, with friend Tom Spence Saturday in Indiana. Slez’s: Boaters in 55 to 60 feet straight out of Burns Ditch and west toward Gary Light. Big perch and lots of limits; extra-large fatheads and Rosie Reds best. Jeffrey Williams: Caught some perch and a laker at Navy Pier. Saw others catching over limit of perch (15 is daily limit). 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 of $9 daily if out by 10 a.m.
STURGEON: Spearing in Wisconsin’s Winnebago system started Saturday and could last until Feb. 26 (depends if any quotas are hit before then). Previous permits required.
AREA LAKES: Wildly varied. Most waters open or opening south; north has some fishable ice. Dave’s Bait: Still fishing Crystal Lake with 6 to 8 inches of ice. Ken ‘‘Husker’’ O’Malley: South of I-80, should be open-water fishing by the weekend.
CHAIN: Shorelines giving way. Ice very variable (1 to 5 inches). GREEN LAKE, WISCONSIN: Mike Norris: BIG GREEN: Lakers in 45 to 120 feet; best on jigging spoons tipped with cisco meat. Occasional schools of white bass passing through. FOX LAKE: Crappie good (to 14 inches) on jig and minnow in 12 feet near Maple Point. GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN: Howie’s: Usual ice-fishing spots for whitefish not accessible. Bays have good ice.
LAKEFRONT: Perch (some lakers and steelhead mixed in) and coho reports at top. Jim Shell: He and son Casey caught good lakers off downtown breakwalls after launching out of Burnham over weekend; jigging or trolling near bottom key. Salmon Stop: Spotty trout reports off Waukegan pier.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN: Arden Katz: Good bluegills in Monona Bay. Eight to 10 inches of ice.
MAZONIA: Ice fishing done.
POWERTON: Boat fishing reopens today. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Kurt Justice: Good travel for ATVs and snowmobiles. Trucks on ‘‘more and more lakes.’’ High pressure made a tough bite, but pike, perch, crappie and bluegills picked up in recent days. Weather could alter travel again by weekend.
ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN: Tackle Haven: Coho off the pier. Perch in the turning basin (no whitefish reports). Steelhead going in river.