The first true hints of perch on southern Lake Michigan and waiting on first ice lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
Options are changing or will change, it’s that time of the year, as Ken “Husker” O’Malley shows with white bass from the Illinois River. A fuller report and suggestions of how to fish now are in the Illinois River report below.
LAKEFRONT PERCH
On Sunday, Chuck Weis, whom I consider one of the gurus on perch fishing on southern Lake Michigan, texted:
Perch are on started yesterday
When I asked if it was shore or boat fishing around the South Side/Calumet area, he replied:
Both not sure yet on boats saw 2 boats in Crowley I caught 1 shrimp & maggots Guys that was catching had minnows & were dead sticking maybe a bite every 15 minutes So the best classification of the bite slow just starting
Cory Gecht at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor had a guy the other day report catching a couple yellow perch at Diversey Harbor, “But nobody saw him catch them.” Then he added, “At 95th Street, if you got a little boat to get out, it’s going crazy I hear.”
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station, Indiana, texted:
Some perch action has started cal park area the best catches I know of so far have been from boat fishermen. Xl fathead minnows fished on perch fly rigs.
Some nice ones too
FIRST ICE
As to first ice up north, there’s this was emailed from Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua, Wisconsin: emailed:
With some single digit mornings in the forecast, the end of the open water season is winding down. Surface temps averaging 40 degrees won’t hold long with lows like those and highs in the low 20’s. Just going to need some windless nights to allow ice formation.
. . .
Pond behind shop about 80% frozen as of 11/14, some skim ice reported on the south sides of shallow bays.
Kurt Justice
LAKEFRONT PARKING
Chicago Park District’s parking passes for the fisherman’s parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors are on sale at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor and the Northerly Island Visitor Center.
Readers suggest SpotHero app downtown. Otherwise, here are some basics: Foster (free street parking or pay lot); Montrose (now a mix of metered and free street parking); Belmont (pay lots on north and south sides); Diversey (pay lot or street parking); DuSable Harbor (pay lot or fisherman’s lot); Northerly Island/Burnham Harbor (meters, pay lot or fisherman’s lot); 31st/Burnham (meter parking between McCormick Place and 31st Street Harbor); Oakwood/39th (meters); 63rd Street/Casino Pier (pay lot); Steelworkers Park (free street parking at east end of 87th); Cal Park (free parking).
PIER PASSES
The $10 pier passes, which allow legal access to select piers at Jackson Park, Burnham, DuSable, Diversey, Belmont and Montrose harbors, may be bought at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor (cash only) and Northerly Island Visitor Center (credit-card only).
AREA LAKES
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
. . .
Area lakes-the bass bite slowed with the cold front. Bluegill remain good using ice jigs tipped with a waxie under a slip float. Work the bait along the outside weedlines adjacent to deeper water. A few crappie and small bass can be taken with this presentation.
. . .
TTYL
—
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
Rob Abouchar emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale
With the water rapidly cooling and snow flakes in the air we have turned to floating Golden Roach Minnows for bass and Pike. My neighbor scored early in the week with a big 20 inch largemouth and a small 20 inch northern caught on a roach minnow on a #2 red octopus hook under a red and white bobber...a classic set-up. On Saturday i took a break from solo practicing and floated a minnow for a bit. I landed a nice sized largemouth from the dock. The minnow was on a green google eye jig under a slip float with a couple split shots in 3 feet of water. Only a few boats were out over the weekend and with skim ice on some farm ponds could the hard water be far behind.
On the music front only a couple more rehearsals before the first Frank Zappa Tribute show. The band is getting tighter and i’m learning the parts better and better. Kind of like fine tuning angling techniques. Hopefully practice will make it as close to perfect as possible. The Conscious Rockers have secured a Saturday night gig at The Wild Hare on January 7. Should be a great night performing the album and having some guest artists join in for some classic reggae riddims. These shows are the result of years of hard work and preparation and the excitement is quite palpable for me right now.
Tight Lines and Good Health
Rob
As I’ve said before, I just enjoy typing Frank Zappa in a fishing report. Plus the show is at Reggie’s in the South Loop on Dec. 3 and I hope to make it.
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Cole Langellier at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said not a lot going, but a little bit of walleye; crappie are all right with some decent bluegills mixed in; others trying for muskies, mostly with suckers.
As to ice fishing, proprietor Greg Dickson said, “There’s no chance of ice fishing by the weekend. But I like your spirit. We’re a month away from any kind of real ice fishing.”
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: Stratton Lock and Dam is closed through April 30, 2023.
CHICAGO RIVER
Jeffrey Williams messaged the photo above and this on Monday:
So i have chicago river and lakefront reports for u
. . .
Chicago river
Bass bites are slowing down but they are still biting along with crappies, only had a hour on the walk and managed to get in a nice Hybrid Striper(not 100% sure)
I wasn’t positive on it, but biologist Vic Santucci confirmed it was a yellow bass.
COOLING LAKES/STRIP PITS
Heidecke, LaSalle, Braidwood and Mazonia (except Monster Lake is open all years) are closed.
DOWNSTATE
POWERTON: Closed until after duck season.
EMIQUON PRESERVE: During waterfowl season, fishing is not allowed until noon. Access permits and liability waivers are required. They are available Tuesday to Saturday at Dickson Mounts Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SHELBYVILLE: Check with Ken Wilson of Lithia Guide Service.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Check with Jason Johns of Boneyard Fishing.
SPRING LAKE: Site superintendent Thad Cook emailed:
Hey Dale, Oct 21st is the last day for boats to be on Spring Lake. Boat fishing will still be allowed from the Sky Ranch ramp up to the narrows throughout waterfowl season. The stoping point in the narrows will be marked with buoy markers. The youth waterfowl hunt is oct 23-24. Bank fishing will be allowed along the south Lake road after 1:00pm during waterfowl season. Thanks. Thad
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed for the season.
FOX RIVER
Vince Oppedisano emailed:
Dale,
Fox River, Kane County report... fished a few hours over the weekend. Levels seemed to remain pretty steady from the previous week, fairly high.
The quick temperature drop over the weekend definitely affected the fishing, as one might predict... didn’t find any fish with crankbaits or jerkbaits this time. A few smallmouth went for a bright colored jig/twister tail combo. Other than that, it was tough going and cold.
A friend of mine landed a really good walleye around dusk on Saturday on a jig. A good sign for sure, but with the extended forecast it seems like the cold water is here to stay a while.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris texted the photo above and emailed this:
Fishing Report – 11/13/2022
Mike Norris
Big Green Lake – I was able to find spots located in areas out of the wind and fishing for smallmouth bass and walleye was excellent last week. My clients are I were catching and releasing smallmouth bass weighing up to five pounds as record warm air temperatures in the upper sixties kept the lake water from cooling down below 50 degrees. Everything changed last Friday though as a major cold front dropped daytime air temperatures into the thirties with night time temperatures as low as twenty degrees. Snowflakes were in the air by this past Saturday. Our weather forecast calls for a ten-day stretch of chilly weather, but I still will be on the water on days with little or no wind. The biggest smallmouth bass of the year and huge walleyes are feeding on forage right now. For smallmouth bass, my bait of choice is a lively sucker minnow dragged slowly on a Carolina rig. Find them around rocky points and along the first primary drop off. For walleye try trolling crankbaits over deep water weeds which rise to within ten feet of the surface.
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR weekly report.
ILLINOIS RIVER
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photos at the very top and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
Illinois River-before the cold front, water temps were 55 with a couple feet of visibility. Sauger are still spread out and can be taken by vertical jigging a jig and minnow. Focus on areas near wintering holes as they will be starting to move up. White bass have been the stars of the show. Use the rippin rap to find the active schools. Switch to a jig and minnow once the bite slows. Drum were also good vertical jigging hair jigs tipped with a minnow.
. . .
TTYL
—
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
KANKAKEE RIVER
Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale - had to get out Sunday with a chill in the air. Fishing was really good catching about 4 smallmouth at 18 around 3 lbs and several smaller bass including a couple largemouth on a variety of lures. The big fish hit a texas rig dressed with a creature hawg and around structures. Also caught several fish casting a Rapala DT - 6, lipless crainkbaits and a few finesse baits Water temps dropped to 44 - 45 and clarity was good. Most fish we’re sitting in deep water on structure. It’s crazy how the cold weather is last thought when Bass are biting. Don’t put the boats and gear away just yet. Fall fishing will be here for awhile. Catch and Release
His points are well taken.
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
LAKEFRONT
Jeffrey Williams messaged this on Monday:
So i have chicago river and lakefront reports for u
Caught a couple of Kings today, biggest was 12 lbs, saw a few steelhead swimming at Burnam early in the morning, still waiting for them perch to come in
*caught them with a white/red dare devil spoon
Cory Gecht at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor reported a ton of steelhead and a couple browns are around. He had a guy the other day report catching a couple yellow perch at Diversey Harbor, “But nobody saw him catch them.” Then he added, “At 95th Street, if you got a little boat to get out, it’s going crazy I hear.”
Capt. Dan Leslie at the Salmon Stop in Waukegan said not much going with the weather.
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).
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
MAZONIA
Closed, except Monster Lake is open all year. Lakes will reopen after various hunting seasons.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
With some single digit mornings in the forecast, the end of the open water season is winding down. Surface temps averaging 40 degrees won’t hold long with lows like those and highs in the low 20’s. Just going to need some windless nights to allow ice formation.
Musky: Very Good - Good – Figures! Most boats winterized yet the few remaining tough guys reporting good sucker action. Afternoons best as typically warmest times of day providing best action. With Whitefish spawn picking up, larger lakes producing best along breaks outside gravel spawn sites. Even smaller lakes, that are accessible, have produced some nice mid- 40 fish, but cold could shut these out.
Not really much else to report. Snow on the ground should help with the upcoming week’s gun deer opener. Still signs of rutting with such an early opener. Pond behind shop about 80% frozen as of 11/14, some skim ice reported on the south sides of shallow bays.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Some perch action has started cal park area the best catches I know of so far have been from boat fishermen. Xl fathead minnows fished on perch fly rigs.
Few steelhead have been caught in the lower stretches of nwi tributaries using spawn saks or voodoo jigs tipped with waxworms
Some crappie action around the bridges on lake George in Hobart using crappie minnows
Fresh load of musky suckers came in today.
ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
SHABBONA LAKE
Site winter hours—through Jan. 31—are 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Boondocks is closed
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LAKEFRONT
Click here for the southern Lake Michigan reports from the Wisconsin DNR.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said steelhead are going good from the mid-river up to Berrien Springs.
Paddle and Pole hosts the Berrien Springs Fish Ladder Camera.
