MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
AREA LAKES: Dave's Bait: Crappie and bass shallow; recommended Three Oaks in Crystal Lake (no minnows) for bank fishing. Ken “Husker” O'Malley: Surface water reached 60; largemouth active shallow along windblown shorelines, bladed jigs, spinner baits, lipless crankbaits or swimbaits. Pete Lamar: In western suburbs, largemouth chasing faster baits; a few bluegill on poppers on extreme north end were water warms fastest. Rob Abouchar: On Island Lake, water warmed to 60, best for largemouth was Senkos around wood, rock or metal seawalls; neighbor Jim Ulm using roaches caught catfish, bullhead, yellow bass, crappie and pike.
AREA RIVERS: CHICAGO: Bridgeport Bait: Crappie, big bluegill and a couple white bass at Ping Tom Park, some catfish farther down South Branch. FOX: Portions remain closed to boating: Dave's Bait: Water starting to drop; catfishing ‘‘awesome right now, use cut bait!''
BRAIDWOOD: Jim Lenc: Lots of catfish, bluegill and a largemouth on north side shore.
CHAIN: As of Tuesday morning, Chain remained no-wake, lower and upper Fox Rivers closed to boating. Updates at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540. No-wake can be great time to fish Chain, see Fish of the Week.
DELAVAN LAKE, WISCONSIN: Arden Katz: Bluegills in back channel (sort for keepers), caught and released nine largemouth and a pike, Texas-rigged KVD worm; water 57-58 in channels, 52 on main lake.
GREEN LAKE, WISCONSIN: Mike Norris: Early crappie, jig and minnow under a float, T-Channel and backwater sloughs. HEIDECKE: Larry Jennings: Good mixed bag around bridge, including hybrid stripers. Joseph Hall: Caught and released 25-inch, 5.42-pound walleye.
LAKEFRONT: Capt. Bob Poteshman: Out of North Point — Waukegan to Kenosha, Wisconsin — some days lots of lakers, some days tons of browns, some days a few coho; out of Chicago, did good Monday for coho off Chicago by Navy Pier, best on Dodgers and peanut flies. Capt. Ernesto Amparan: On Monday, off Burnham, went 21-for-41 on coho. Bridgeport Bait: Shore coho spotty, best for powerliners at 39th. Park Bait: Coho best on north/east winds from shore, minnows and crawlers best, but also spawn sacs, cut bait, shrimp (a few on lures); some nice browns, too; smallmouth improving. Capt. Scott Wolfe: Out of Waukegan, concentrating on browns, most 2-5 pounds, but one went 20, Great Lakes Naval to Willamette in 20 ft., all stuffed with gobies, so use gold spoons near bottom. LaSALLE: Darryl Turner: ‘‘Best time'' for blues, caught and released 17 on Friday, best 26 pounds, using shad and bluegill. NORTHWEST INDIANA: Slez's: Trollers getting coho, East Chicago to Michigan City in 25-45, ThinFish or Dodgers and flies. SHABBONA: Boondocks: Crappie hitting best on north side; some good channel catfish to 22 inches; water 51.
ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN: Tackle Haven: Trollers catching coho with a smattering of kings in 220-230; others having less success in 50.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN: WINNECONNE: Gary Bloom: Walleye hot, few spawned-out females showing up, even a white bass. FREMONT: Bill Stoeger: Good numbers of female walleye; more white bass showing up, mostly in deeper water; water 58.2 on Tuesday.