The opening of Illinois’ fall trout season on Saturday leads this sprawlng raw-file Midwest Fishing Report; but salmon fishing on the lakefront keeps on going, too, and crappie fishing will soon kick in for real.
Speaking of crappie fishing, Juan Macias was crappie fishing at Busse and caught a bonus northern pike, see photo at the top.
CHICAGO FISHING COMMITTEE MEETING
The October meeting of the Chicago fishing advisory committee has been postponed. It was scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 19.
ILLINOIS’ FALL TROUT
Fall trout season for catchable rainbow opens Saturday, Oct. 21. As usual, anglers 16 and older need an inland trout stamp and a fishing license. Daily bag is five trout. A wide range of small lures and baits work; pretty much go with your favored method.
Nearby sites include (Cook County): Axehead, Belleau, Busse Woods North, Green, Horsetail, Sag Quarry East, Wolf Lake at William Powers SRA; (DuPage): Silver, Pickerel, Grove; (Kankakee): Bird Park Quarry, Rock Creek at Kankakee River SP; (Kendall): Big Lake at Silver Springs SFWA; (Lake): Sand Lake at Illinois Beach SP; (McHenry): Spring Grove Hatchery Pond; (Will): Lake Strini, Van Horn Woods.
Click here for the statewide announcement.
ILLINOIS EARLY CATCH-AND-RELEASE FALL TROUT
Illinois’ early catch-and-release trout season is open. Nearby early catch-and-release sites: Rock Creek at Kankakee River SP; Pine Creek, White Pines Forest SP; Apple River, Apple River Canyon SP. The regular spring trout season opens Saturday, Oct. 21.
SHORELINE SALMON/TROUT
CHICAGO: Wayne Hankins posted and a slew of photos, including the one above, and this:
Update on the Salmon Season ... Borabb Team Krappie held it down for lure fishing...15 on lures and counting...
Snagging Season is going pretty good to ... it’s more then fishing..it’s mental health...it’s brother hood ... and last but least it iconic memories even when we not fishing...Salmon Nightmares!! However the cookie crumble
#tutfishing67onyoutube #SalmonNightmares
2023
Friday the 13th 2023 was epic Night Night words can’t even explain!!
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
FISHING REPORT 10-16-23 Still a good amount of Salmon and Trout around the lakefront. Kings, Cohos and nice Steelhead in and around the harbors. Casting crankbaits and spoons also using slip bobber set ups with spawn sacs, larger shiner minnows, wax and butter worms on hair/tinsel jigs, shrimp, crawlers etc.. Get out and give it a try you never know what you will catch!
Oh, yeah, my hours now are 6 AM to 6 PM. 7 days a week
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Rain slowed some from going out.
Some salmon below lake George dam in Hobart.
LAKEFRONT PARKING
Chicago Park District’s parking passes ($20 for two months) for the anglers’ parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors are on sale at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor (cash only) and the Northerly Island Visitor Center (credit card only, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday), but call (312) 745-2910 first to make sure someone is there.
My column from Nov. 30, 2022, on parking the length of the Chicago lakefront is posted at https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/11/30/23485385/chicago-lakefront-parking-fishing
AREA LAKES
Most attention will be on the trout opener Saturday.
On Sunday, Juan Macias messaged the photo at the very top and this from Busse:
Hi Dale, after raining decided to go fishing at busse woods and never disappointed bass, crappies, walleye and pike was baiting this morning on plastics and minows few guys left with their crappies limit also i keep 12 on very good size.
Even now at the same time wen write about i get a bonus pike is so cool very few times that happens
Andy Hansen messaged the photo above and this on Wednesday:
Hey Dale,
Decided to get out before the rains came (and stayed) on Wednesday. Couple three pounders at a city lagoon. Always fun. Seems they’re putting on their feed bags. Tight lines, Andy
Dave Kranz of Dave’s Bait, Tackle and Taxidermy in Crystal Lake and with his You-Tube channel, Dave Kranz Living the wild outdoors, texted:
Musky time is here and the water temperatures are right. I have heard that white and chartreuse baits are getting looks and eaten. Walleyes and white bass fishing continues to be good. Jig and and a minnow or Berkley Flicker minnows or Shad’s are working well. The rains helped water levels and bluegill and crappies and coming into the channels.
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Closing today, Oct. 17.
CALUMET SYSTEM
Duncan Klopp-Richardson caught the surprise above while bass fishing Lake Calumet and messaged:
Lake cal this weekend
Bomber fat free shad near the skyway
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Arden Katz said he’s catching walleye, lots of drum, and some white and yellow bass on bladebaits in 10 feet around points on Maria; he watched another angler catching big white bass in deep water on the southern end of Channel.
Dave Kranz of Dave’s Bait, Tackle and Taxidermy in Crystal Lake and with his You-Tube channel, Dave Kranz Living the wild outdoors, texted:
Musky time is here and the water temperatures are right. I have heard that white and chartreuse baits are getting looks and eaten. Walleyes and white bass fishing continues to be good. Jig and and a minnow or Berkley Flicker minnows or Shad’s are working well. The rains helped water levels and bluegill and crappies and coming into the channels.
Staff at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said crappie are improving and starting to move into the channels; white bass are good and wallleye are being caught,
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: In October, Stratton Lock and Dam is open 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
COOLING LAKES
Final fishing days: Heidecke and LaSalle, closed. Braidwood, closing today, Oct. 17. Mazonia, closing today, Oct. 17 (except Monster Lake is open all year).
DELAVAN LAKE, WISCONSN
Capt. Dave Duwe emailed:
Delavan Lake Fishing Report 10/16/23 – 10/23/23
This past week, it was hard to find time to get out on the lake with strong winds and an enormous amount of rain. With the cooler weather, the lake temperature is cooling rapidly and the walleyes are starting to bite.
Walleye pike are off the main lake points in 22-24 ft of water. They can be caught on lindy rigged nightcrawlers with a 24-30 inch leader. I prefer using a painted hook on my lindy rig in either pink or chartreuse. As the water cools, the fish will switch to an all fat head minnow bite within the next 10 days or so if the water continues to cool.
Largemouth bass have been spotty due to the ups and downs of the temperature. One day we struggle to hit 60 and the next day it’s 80+. The bass I’ve been catching are on the weed lines in 15-17 ft of water. Look for the fish just east of Willow point or just west of Browns Channel.
Bluegill fishing has been very slow. I’ve only been catching a few fish each trip out. The fish I’ve been catching are in 12-13 ft of water right in the weeds. Look for the fish by the buoy line in Viewcrest and Highlands Bays.
Northern Pike action is steady. The fish are in the weed flats in front of Lake Lawn Lodge, Highland Bay and Viewcrest Bay. White spinner baits and chatter baits have been producing the most action. The only downside is that the fish have been on the small side.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063
DOWNSTATE
POWERTON: Boat fishing ends on Sunday, Oct. 22; the last day for bank fishing is Oct. 27.
SPRING LAKE: Friday, Oct. 20, is the last day of fishing at Spring Lake. But bank fishing reopens from Monday, Oct. 23, to Oct. 27. Then, from Oct. 28 to the end of duck season, bank fishing is allowed after 1 p.m.
EMIQUON PRESERVE: Beginning Saturday, Oct. 21 and running through the end of duck season, fishing is only allowed after noon. Access permits and liability waivers are available Tuesday to Saturday at Dickson Mounts Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed.
SHELBYVILLE: Check with Ken Wilson of Lithia Guide Service.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Check with Jason Johns of Boneyard Fishing.
FOX RIVER
Vince Oppedisano emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale,
I was able to get out for a few hours one day last week and most of the day Saturday. ... Fox River Kane County.
No storms to speak of, but lots of consistent rainfall over the weekend. Levels were way up on Saturday, looked to be up almost a foot in some areas. This was the fastest I’ve seen the current probably since May this year. I stuck to bank fishing and tried the usual fall presentations for smallmouth/walleye.
I didn’t find any walleye but saw some others posting photos of good walleye caught at night last week. It was a challenge getting clean casts with no weeds, the river seemed pretty torn up. Caught about 10 smallmouth total. Finally found a good jerkbait bite before sunset on Saturday that produced a few pretty good fish.
Len Cajic caught this beastly fall smallie prior to all the rain last week. Jerkbait.
GENEVA LAKE, WISCONSIN
Capt. Dave Duwe emailed:
Geneva Lake 10/16/23 through 10/23/23
Northern pike action has been good in the weed flats such as Williams Bay and Trinkes. Most of the success is coming off of trolling medium diving crank baits in a perch or fire tiger pattern. The best depth has been in 12-15 ft of water. This bite should be consistent throughout the rest of the fall season.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been good by the Yacht Club and by South Shore Club. Use lindy rigs with nightcrawlers is 21-25 ft of water. The bass are feeding on small yellow perch so when you find a school a perch the bass should be right behind them.
Musky fishing will be improving after the lake turns over in the next few weeks. I will be trolling large suckers in 12-15 ft of water. Most time will be spent on the inside turns off of main lake points, like Black Point and the 700 club by Trinkes. The suckers should be between 12-13 inches on a quick strike rig. Depending on the sucker, you may need to adjust your weight to keep the bait down. Some will pull away and naturally keep deep but others may need some weight to keep the bait the 3-4 ft above the weeds.
Walleye fishing remains a constant bite in the overnight hours. Look for the fish in Trinkes Bay or by Knollwood bay. The best depth is 12-14 ft of water. Trolling medium diving stick baits has been the best presentation.
Rock bass fishing has been slow. I’ve been catching a few in 12-13 ft of water. The best location has been just east of Cedar Point near Williams Bay. I’ve been catching them on split shot rigged nightcrawlers trolled right on bottom.
Bluegill fishing has been great, the fish are in 18-20 ft of water. I’ve been catching a bunch by Covenant Harbor, Elgin Club and by Gage Marine. The best success has come where there are light winds where I can keep contact with the bottom using a light sinker and leaf worm. The fish are about 6 inches to 1 foot above bottom.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water for guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris emailed:
Fishing Report – 10/15/2023
Mike Norris
Big Green Lake: The massive low-pressure system, which brought rain, wind, and cooler temperatures to the Midwest, has slowed down the bass bite. That’s not to say you can’t catch any bass. With the surface water temperature dropping from 62 to 54 degrees in the past week, bass are not chasing fast-moving lures. So right now, power fishing with crankbaits or umbrella rigs are out. Working with slower moving lures will produce. Try working a drop shot rig in 8-16 feet of water. Dragging a tube lure will also entice bites. This past Sunday, a tournament on Big Green was won with a five-fish limit of 18.73 pounds. A 6.51-pound smallmouth bass anchored the winning weight. If the tournament had been held a week earlier, winning would have taken 20 - 21 pounds. The bass bite should improve with stable weather and rising air temps this week.
Beaver Dam Lake: Crappies are moving into the neck-down areas where the lake crosses beneath roads and are now accessible to shore anglers. Try small fathead minnows suspended 12–18 inches under a float early in the morning and later in the day. Walleyes are showing up on rock bars after sunset. Last Thursday, 6,000 4–5-inch bluegills and 1,500 walleyes from 6–8 inches were stocked in Beaver Dam Lake. Another 6,000 perch will be stocked soon.
Fox Lake: Largemouth bass are shallow and will bite slower-moving lures. Try casting Senko’s around and under docks. Walleyes are active early and late in the day. Try medium-sized shiners suspended below a float in 12–15 feet of water.
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR weekly report.
HEIDECKE LAKE
Closed.
KANKAKEE RIVER
George Peters emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale, Got this fish of the week just as the Kankakee was turning over for fall. Weeds and moss will wash out in a week or so but not now. Fall bite will be ok until total leaf drop about mid November
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
LAKEFRONT
Weather prevented boaters from getting out.
Shoreline salmon/trout report at the top.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
FISHING REPORT 10-16-23Still a good amount of Salmon and Trout around the lakefront. Kings, Cohos and nice Steelhead in and around the harbors. Casting crankbaits and spoons also using slip bobber set ups with spawn sacs, larger shiner minnows, wax and butter worms on hair/tinsel jigs, shrimp, crawlers etc.. Get out and give it a try you never know what you will catch!
Oh, yeah, my hours now are 6 AM to 6 PM. 7 days a week
SALMON SNAGGING: Here are the details from the IDNR:
4) Snagging for Chinook and coho salmon only is permitted from the following Lake Michigan shoreline areas from October 1 through December 31; however, no snagging is allowed at any time within 200 feet of a moored watercraft or as posted: A) Lincoln Park Lagoon from the Fullerton Avenue Bridge to the southern end of the Lagoon. B) Waukegan Harbor (in North Harbor basin only). C) Winnetka Power Plant discharge area. D) Jackson Harbor (Inner and Outer Harbors).
LaSALLE LAKE
Closed.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
MAZONIA
Closing today, Oct. 17, except Monster Lake is open all year.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
At the halfway point of October, conditions are about as normal as we used to see for this time of year. Most lakes have, or are in midst of turnover. Lake surface temps checked over the past four days have ranged from as low as 48 degrees to a more average 53-55 degrees. This has scattered certain species of fish as is to be expected, other species have picked up the pace.
Due to rough weather, mostly wind and cold, few species were targeted this past week.
Musky: Good-Very Good – The sucker bite is under way in a big way! A recent Musky challenge had 40 Musky recorded in one day with 90% of the fish boated on suckers. Jerk baits and jointed cranks scored the rest. With most lake temps running 53-55 degrees, there was still a surprisingly shallow bite, some as shallow as 2-3’. On small, but deep lakes, Skies found suspended 15-20’ down in 25-35’ of water.
Walleye: Fair – Very scattered following turn-over. Be ready to check a lot of spots. Live bait on jigs/Lindy rigs out producing jigging Raps and Shiver Minnows right now. Gravel, rock, mud – depth of 16-35’ or more. Be patient and willing to move.
Crappie: Fair – Wind made holding position tough. Crappies on lakes also scattered. Flowage fish relating to river channel wood.
With forecast of lows in 40’s to highs in mid-50’s should keep lake temps holding into low 50’s. Good enough to pattern some good fall fishing for the next week.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Rain slowed some from going out.
Some salmon below lake George dam in Hobart.
Crappie and bluegills for some fishing Loomis lake in valpo.
Grand boulevard lake in lake station giving up crappie and bluegill for those fishing in boats.
ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
SHABBONA LAKE
John Honiotes at Boondocks reported crappie starting to pick up; water temperature Tuesday was 56.
Site summer hours — 6 a.m.-10 p.m. — run through Oct. 31.
Boondocks’ bait shop is open daily, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.; restaurant hours are 11-8, Friday through Sunday.
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LAKEFRONT
Click here for the southern Lake Michigan reports from the Wisconsin DNR.
WEBSTER LAKE, INDIANA
I messaged Capt. Kevin Bachner Saturday for the column tomorrow on a different matter and I happened to catch him fishing muskies at Webster. He messaged the photo above and this when I asked how they were doing:
We caught 2 today. We had another 5-6 follow ups. I caught at 30-32 inches and my buddy got a 40 inch.
Sunday was a tough day.
WISCONSIN RIVER
Rob Abouchar messaged the photo above and this:
Hi Dale
WIth the high school outing canceled I headed back to Merrill Wisconsin to look at the house on the river. I brought Roy coackley with to have another set of eyes and neutral perspective on site. We then did some fishing for bass pike and floated some suckers for muskie. After missing a big shouldered muskie in the first 10 minutes the bite was good for bass and pike. I got some of the biggest smallmouth of the season on a rapala og Rocco squarebill crankbait. It also got several nice pike. I did have a strike on my oversized 10 inch wacky rigged senko gut no fish. Roy got some big smallmouth on a 3 inch paddle tail swimbait wit a mylar strip inside. This is the middle of the peak fall feedbag my favorite time of the year in the Wisconsin river. Full peak foliage and the water at 50 degrees; a 10 degree drop in a week. These fish are fat and strong hitting in rocky ares near edges of canes and eelgrass. We were wishing for another day or two but institute day and parent conferences are upon us.
On the music front the conscious rockers have a gig monday night November 6 at the all souls jazz fest at the Chopin theatre in Chicago. Midnite mile is on for October 28th at the Irish mill in Mundelein and Hemp fest in Waucanda Nov 4th. And we are rolling on with Zappafest rehearsals for December 1st in Chicago and 2nd in Milwaukee. Music is the best.
Tight lines and good health!
Rob
And my Tuesday morning is made with the music report.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
Going out with Bruce this morning. White bass has been good from Chico’s down to the mouth. Crappie still biting in the wood
