MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
SHORELINE SALMON/TROUT: Quinn Wunar: Coho on Chicago lakefront on TS Jigs, down 6 feet. If no current, keep popping it. Some bigger coho showing up. Tim ‘‘Spike’’ Davis: First Lake Michigan brown on TS Jig at Montrose. Ian Guen-Murray: Personal-best brown on orange Mepps on Saturday on North Side. Park Bait: Powerliners (large minnows, crawlers, shrimp, spawn sacs) and rod-and-reel (casting lures or bait under a bobber) landing some nice browns, steelhead and small pike. Salmon Stop: Powerliners (minnows) and shore anglers (spawn sacs or casting spoons) catching occasional steelhead or brown. Some steelhead going up creeks; try spawn sacs under a bobber or inline spinners. Slez’s: In Indiana, coho good for trollers (beach to 35 feet) from Hammond to Michigan City on Brad’s ThinFish, J-9s or small swallow-running crankbaits. Portage Riverwalk and Michigan City pier very good for coho; most fishing skein, squid, shrimp or crawlers. Tackle Haven: In St. Joseph, Michigan, coho being caught off pier again after waves laid down. PASSES: Chicago Park District parking passes ($20, two months, anglers’ lots at DuSable and Burnham) at Park Bait (cash only) or at Northerly Island Visitor Center (credit card only). Call (312) 745-2910 first.
EARLY TROUT: Illinois’ early catch-and-release trout season is open. Nearby early sites: Rock Creek at Kankakee River SP; Pine Creek at White Pines Forest SP; Apple River at Apple River Canyon SP. Regular spring trout opens April 1.
AREA RIVERS: CHICAGO: Jeffrey Williams: Big carp (to 25 pounds) improving. DES PLAINES: See Jack Stevens’ big sauger in Fish of the Week. DuPAGE: Scott Oglanian: Finding big smallmouth. FOX: See below. ILLINOIS: Good numbers caught daily in Masters Walleye Circuit event last week. John O’Flynn of Manhattan and Eric Maggio of Ladd caught big fish (4 pounds, 6 ounces). National Walleye Tour event out of Spring Valley runs through Wednesday. KANKAKEE: Bob Johnson: Before weekend cold snap, caught smallmouth on mid-range crankbaits in 2 to 6 feet around rocks or laydowns.
CHAIN/FOX RIVER: As of Tuesday morning, lower river remained no-wake. Check updates at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540. Triangle: Bluegills, crappie and perch heading into some channels. Most crappie outside channel mouths in 6 to 8 feet on plastics or hair jigs. Walleye picking up; some on shallow flats. Dave’s Bait: Walleye at McHenry Dam on jig and extra-large fathead. Panfish in and out of the channels (waxies or small fatheads).
LaSALLE LAKE: See column on opener last Wednesday. Juan Macias: Blues ‘‘on fire’’ afternoons over the weekend. Pete Riedesel: Good fishing last week when winds allowed, including quality hybrid stripers. Check daily updates on boating at (815) 640-8099.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Kurt Justice: Winter weather limited or halted action. Expect another two weeks of ice fishing.
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Slez’s: Good perch northwest of Burns Ditch in 55 to 60 feet (when weather allows) on extra-large fatheads or perch flies. ROCK RIVER, WISCONSIN: Kyle Tepper: Walleye and sauger at Janesville dam on jig and minnow.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN: Tackle Haven: Steelhead below Berrien Springs dam.