This sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report sprawls worldwide to include Canada and London; and there’s more, including info for the long holiday weekend, shoreline salmon and trout, big coho on southern Lake Michigan, and Wisconsin sturgeon.
Yes, that is worldwide with Canada and London reports.
Matt Radenbaugh emailed the photo at the top and this:
Hi Dale, was out with my longtime fishing buddy, Tim Ledbetter, and my son, Beck, and Beck nailed his first big smallie, a nice 4.5 pounder on the lakefront Saturday morning.
Hope you enjoy, thanks
Matt Radenbaugh
That kind of stuff that makes my day.
SHORELINE SALMON/TROUT
Quinn Wunar tweeted the photo above and this:
Fact that there’s so many steelhead around makes the warm water easier to deal with. So far, casting spoons has been a grind.
Yes, there are bonus points for the hat, if only for the suffering.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Good morning Dale, Salmon and Trout being caught here and there, I hear of at least 1 a day. They seem to be jumping more also.
Capt. Dan Leslie at the Salmon Stop in Waukegan said the rain seemed too help the harbor fishing and spur more kings; there’s nice harbor steelhead, too; spoon bite working best.
Capt. Scott Wolfe of School of Fish Charters emailed:
. . .
And the harbor is starting. Some smaller kings are coming in at night. Unfortunately I think the king run will be below average. But the cohos will come in soon after and I expect one of the best coho runs in Illinois history. This is the first year I can ever remember the boats specifically targeting coho instead of kings because of both the quality and quantity. I guarantee you will get anglers emailing you photos of their kings and they will be huge coho. I think lots of shore fishermen’s personal best coho will be taken this fall.
Capt. Scott Wolfe
schooloffishcharters.com 630-341-0550
Here’s to readers catching to their best coho of their lives this fall.
WISCONSIN STURGEON
Hook-and-line sturgeon season in Wisconsin opens Saturday, Sept. 3, and runs through Sept. 30. Click here for the details.
LAKEFRONT PARKING
Chicago Park District’s parking passes for the fisherman’s parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors are on sale at Henry’s Sports and Bait in Bridgeport, 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).
ILLINOIS FROG SEASON
Illinois’ bullfrog (only) season runs through Oct. 15. A fishing license is required. “Bullfrogs may be taken by hook and line, gig, pitchfork, spear, bow and arrow, hand, or landing net.” Daily bag limits eight, possession limit 16.
AREA LAKES
If trying for bluegill, I would suggest fishing in the weed pockets or working the outside weedlines.
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-bass have been good during late afternoon and evening hours. Texas rigged power worms with a Vector offset worm hook worked over rock humps and deep weed lines have produced good numbers.
. . .
TTYL
—
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
You can just make out the silhouette of a snapping turtle in the attached video. When the ducks became aware that a turtle who would like to eat them was in the immediate area, they got out of the water in a hurry. They concluded that they were safer standing next to us-they were within arm’s length-than in the water with a hungry snapper. By the way, we were there, at a park district lake, to fish for bluegills. We caught a few small ones, but the turtle and ducks were the highlight.
. . .
Fingers crossed for the upland game drawing later this week
Pete
Lamar and I are part of an informal group that shares any success in drawings for the free upland game permits, what I consider the coolest hunting program in Illinois.
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
District fisheries biologist Seth Love would like to hear from anglers on hybrid catches at Braidwood. You can email him at seth.love@illinois.gov.
Open daily 6 a.m.-sunset.
CANADA
Joe Lamonica emailed the photo above and this:
Joe lamonica here. Had a great trip to Canada iron bridge ont. my friend Cris with a 24 inch walleye. Great dinner.
Yeah, I know that stretches the definition of Midwest, but considering how many Chicago-anglers trek to Canada each year, I included it.
But I actually had a couple submissions from Canada in the last week.
Jimmy Hjorth messaged the photo above and this last Wednesday:
A great day in Saskatoon!!!!
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Art Frisell at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said water levels are up, so walleye should go around bridges, current areas and main lake points, try leeches on slip-bobber rigs; catfishing is good with medium roaches, crawlers and stinkbait, in that order; white bass very good, try trolling main lake basin with Mepps spinners or Pinkie jigs, then, when fish are located, go to slip-bobbers, Marie best; try for bluegill a little deeper in 8 feet with ice jigs on slip-bobbers.
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: The Stratton Lock and Dam has normal daily operating hours of 8 a.m. to midnight through Sept. 30.
CHICAGO RIVER
Jeffrey Williams messaged the photo above of his broother Jesse Gonzalez and this:
Back at the riverwalk catching these big boys,
19 pounds 33 in
COOLING LAKES
Braidwood, LaSalle and Heidecke are open daily 6 a.m.-sunset.
DELAVAN LAKE, WISCONSIN
Capt. Dave Duwe emailed:
Delavan Lake 8/29/22 through 9/5/22
Fishing remains very consistent. Both panfish and gamefish continue to bite well. .
Largemouth bass are still on the rocky points. When you find a school, it’s possible to catch 15-20 fish. They can either be caught drop shotting small 4 inch worms or fishing nightcrawlers on a split shot rig. Look for the fish in 15-20 ft of water. The best location is by Del Mar or by the Yacht Club.
Northern Pike fishing has been very slow. I’ve been dragging suckers around all week and didn’t catch one fish. I still believe that the bluegills are so thick on the weedlines that the pike simply aren’t hungry for anything else. I’ve tried both lindy rigs and slip bobbers without success.
Bluegills for most of the week have been just outside the weed edge in 15-20 ft. However, on Sunday 8/29/10 they were very difficult to catch. I don’t know if it was the time of day or if the fish have moved. I was fishing anywhere between 14 and 27 ft without much success. Leaf worms or red worms have been producing and the best approach has been fishing straight beneath the boat or using slip bobbers. Try for them 1 ft above the weeds.
Crappies continue to be very active. They are on the weedline in 14-16 ft of water. They can be caught on small plastics. Chartreuse or purple have been producing most of the action. Look for the fish by Browns Channel or Willow Point. For live bait fishermen, if you find a nice school, a small fathead minnow fished on a Thill bobber will produce a lot of action as well.
Walleye fishing has been kind of slow. I’ve been catching them here or there but not in any great numbers with any consistency. Most of the time, I’ve been fishing in 15-17 ft of water. I think that the walleyes are a little deeper in 22-24 ft of water on the outside of the weedline. The best approach to catch them is chrome and blue jigging Rapalas.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the weedline. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050
DOWNSTATE
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Monday is the final day.
POWERTON: Summer hours are 6 a.m.-8 p.m. through Sept. 30.
EMIQUON PRESERVE: Hours are sunrise to sunset. 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.
FOX RIVER
Jack Stevens emailed the photo above and this Sunday:
Hey Dale,
Got another one for you. 4.2lb smallie while wading through fox river in Aurora.
I was wading the river tossing a 1/2 jig with a craw trailer. The smallmouth were holding close to structure. Hooked into this one around noon.
Best,
Jack Stevens
That’s a good catch for the middle of the day.
Mike Cronsell at Dicky’s Bait Shop in Montgomery reported the rain helped the flow and should help the overall bite for catfish.
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
. . .
I fished the Fox in downtown Aurora last week and got into some small smallmouths. They came out of surprisingly slow water-up until then, the fish I’d been catching came from in or near riffles. Levels and current were good for this time of year, but the water was taking on a green color again from an algae bloom. I haven’t looked yet, but would guess that yesterday’s storm and heavy rain flushed a lot of the algae downstream.
. . .
Pete
GENEVA LAKE, WISCONSIN
Capt. Dave Duwe emailed:
Lake Geneva 8/29/22 through 9/5/22
It’s the calm before the storm. Labor Day weekend is just about here so be prepared for a great deal of boat traffic on the lake. It will be much busier than it has been lately.
Smallmouth bass are starting to come off their sporadic summer pattern and starting to position themselves on the break lines in 15-20 ft. of water. The best presentation I have found is Carolina Rigging, watermelon or root beer colored Arkie crawling grubs or split shotting live night crawlers. Most of the fish being caught are by Coleman’s Point or by Linn Pier. As the water cools the small mouth bass will move shallower and concentrate on the main lake points, like Conference Point, Black Point and Rainbow Point.
Largemouth bass fishing has been all right. Most of the bass are being caught in 12-13 ft. of water. The best bait is night crawlers fished on the split shot rig. A secondary pattern was the split shot rig with 5 inch zoom lizards, green pumkin/chartreuse seemed to produce the most. Many of the fish being caught were on the Geneva Bay break line or by Coleman’s Point.
Northern Pike fishing has been average. The fish are still deep but are starting to move shallow. Most of the northerns being caught this past week have been in 35-40 ft. of water. They are not as concentrated as they were in mid-August. Six inch chubs seem to be the best approach when fished on a lindy rig. Chubs will out fish the suckers about 5 to 1 right now. The best locations have been Cedar Point, the Narrows and Covenant Harbor point.
Walleye fishing has been very good. Some are still being caught at night in about 13 ft. of water. They are still associating with the weed flats. Crank baits or crawler harnesses remain the best approach. Look for them in Fontana Beach or Trinkes. Remember wind is still the key to success.
Panfish continue to be a constant bite. The key to catching them is a live night crawler fished on the split shot rig. The depth has been 10-13 ft. of water for the most action. I’ve caught good fish pretty much in every spot I’ve been fishing for bass.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris emailed:
Fishing Report – 8/28/2022
Mike Norris
Big Green Lake – Smallmouth fishing slowed down in the past week, so I spent most of my time focusing on and catching Big Green Lake’s oversized bluegills. Northern pike are also active, and I am catching them live bait rigging at or just above the thermocline. Troll just above the thermocline (30 to 35 deep) at a half mile an hour with a one-ounce slip sinker rigged twenty-four inches ahead of a 2/0 hook baited with a live sucker minnow.
Fox Lake – A local angler caught a fifty-one-inch muskie last week on this popular Doge County Lake. September is the best month on the lake to fish for muskies. Bass fishing is slow right now but should improve with cooler weather. A few anglers are catching crappies drifting across the basin of the lake with a split shot and minnow.
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR weekly report.
HEIDECKE LAKE
Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this;
Hi Dale - Heidecke lake experienced even more pressure than normal with High School tournaments starting up. Good luck to these kids fishing competitively going forward.The Smallmouth were taking bladed jigs along with Rapala crainkbaits fished close to shore on riprap. I also caught a few on finesse baits along windy side of lake, the calm water is Less effective. The Bass were in good shape but smaller at around 2.5 lbs or under. Lake still has a summer stain and water temps were around 76.
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photo below and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
. . .
Heidecke lake-water temps are 76-77 with very little visibility. Throw top water baits at first light for smallmouth. Swim baits and spider grubs have been the most consistent bite.
Here is the nature pic of the week [below]. Sunrise on Heidecke.
TTYL
—
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
Open 6 a.m. (6:30 bank fishing) to sunset.
ILLINOIS RIVER
Pete Riedesel (see Fishin Friend Guide Service on Facebook) texted the photo above and this:
How about that for a river surprise
Bowfin are a hard-fighting surprise anywhere you latch into them.
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
LAKEFRONT
Jeff Ayeski messaged the photo above and this Saturday from Waukegan:
Coho 14 .6 lbs caught by Mike Beirman on the Catchem Plenty III
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Good morning Dale, Salmon and Trout being caught here and there, I hear of at least 1 a day. They seem to be jumping more also. There has been a big number of Northerns being caught. I have no Perch reports. Smallmouth still being caught by those fishing for them. Have a great week.
Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters texted the photo above and this on Thursday:
37 fish this morning from Chicago. 26-lb king
Lotta little cohos
Here is a main report on Tuesday from Poteshman. “There are some really big cohos around, it is a pleasure.” Out of North Point, decent fishing on The Hill in 50-100 for a mixed bag on a variety of presentations, “Throw the whole Goddamn thing at them.” Out of Chicago, lot of big lakers, big coho, little coho, a few steelhead and occasional Chinook in 110-150 off Montrose. “Darn good fishing for this time of year.”
Capt. Dan Leslie at the Salmon Stop in Waukegan said boat fishing, captains transferring to lakers but also catching lots of coho in 10-pound class and some steelhead in 150-220; rain shore fishing seemed to help spur kings and some nice steelhead in the harbor, too, spoon bite working.
Capt. Scott Wolfe of School of Fish Charters emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale. Your article this week about the huge coho was incredibly timed for me. About the exact time you posted it, Timothy Fee from Chicago landed a new boat record coho at over 15 pounds. The picture is attached. It came on a wire diver out 110 in 120 feet of water off Waukegan on a Stubbie dodger and white Stanley fly.
Fishing was excellent for both coho and lakers off Waukegan. Most of the coho were to the North, off the Illinois State Beach Hotel in 150 to 190 feet. There were occasional kings, lakers, steelhead, pinks and a rare brown trout there too. White or Aqua spoons and flys were best 25 to 60 down on downriggers and lead and copper lines. White flys behind chrome flashers or dodgers and Warrior spoons in Wonderbread, Spoiler, Hey Babe and any green/white combos worked.
Quick limits of huge laker trout are being taken to the South in 110-140. We had several over 20#. Jimmy Fly Mo rigs in Yellow Guy, Green Guy and blue green were great. 300 foot coppers with Magnum Warrior spoons in white or aqua, patterns of Hey Babe, Spoiler, and Two Face all worked well.
And the harbor is starting. Some smaller kings are coming in at night. Unfortunately I think the king run will be below average. But the cohos will come in soon after and I expect one of the best coho runs in Illinois history. This is the first year I can ever remember the boats specifically targeting coho instead of kings because of both the quality and quantity. I guarantee you will get anglers emailing you photos of their kings and they will be huge coho. I think lots of shore fishermen’s personal best coho will be taken this fall.
Capt. Scott Wolfe
schooloffishcharters.com 630-341-0550
LaSALLE LAKE
Site is open daily 6 a.m.-sunset. As a perched lake, boating is closed when winds top or will top 14 mph. Check daily updates on boating at (815) 640-8099.
LONDON
(Yes, as in England)
Lou DiNicola emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale. In England carp fishing is the thing. My grandson, Bode, (who lives near London) is happy with this catch!
That was a first for the MFR, so DiNicola added:
Last place I’d want to live as a fisherman! Give me the Libertyville Fishing Club and our 20 outings each year any day!
I see his point. I think sometimes we take for granted the expanses of free public fishing we have in the United States.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
MAZONIA
Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Howard Bass emailed the photo above and this:
I generally fly fish for esox and bass now and rarely use my bait casters.
This came while fishing for walleye and panfish. Not sure why I bother actively fishing for them when I get em like this most of the time. I guess I’m chasing the once in a lifetime trophy.
1/16 oz weedless jig with half a crawler
4 lb test on a light weight spinning rod.
Caught a perch, watched the musky chase it to the boat, dropped 4’ of rod into water and figure eighted nine or ten times before the rod bent over. From the way it came out I could tell it was a taker and not just a follow. they are always hooked in the top corner of mouth and are easy to release. One of the cooler ways I’ve caught a musky. Go pro does great stuff with fish pictures. Only 32+.
Walleye fishing fair, small mouth have been decent the last couple weeks( a number of 18-20 footballs) Expecting the patterns to shift soon as the birds, animals and trees are slowly showing signs of autumn in the Northwoods.
Watching baby loons trying to figure out how to fish and take flight is fascinating. Let’s just say some kids are not as quick to learn as others. In fact they can be very needy of their parents. One baby will go down and grab fish while the other waits to be fed. With that said loons are incredible parents. Lots of mushrooms everywhere. I think I relate to the old man in the woods that’s growing next to the cabin.
Acorns dropping over a deck with metal furniture can be annoying and sometimes dangerous if you sit in the wrong spot.
H
He’s right about GoPro photos.
He’s also right about the early signs of the changing seasons.
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
Some midweek sun pushed surface temps into the upper 70’s. Lots of sun and little wind made things tough for some anglers chasing Walleye, but some other species responded well to the warmth.
Bluegill: Very Good-Good – Good numbers and size being found in 8-12’ cabbage beds that are not showing signs of dying back. Fan cast small #0 Mepps, 1/32 beetle spins to locate (odd how they aren’t all over). Yet once found, these loose schools of Gills an be really fun on slip-bobbers and worms. Two-three feet down at weed top level. Most of these fish have been nice eaters (7-8) not your run of the mill dock Sunnys!
Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Action seemed to have slowed from past couple weeks. Late mornings through afternoons best using Wacky Worms and jig/creature baits. Those hotter evenings did provide good top-water action. Despite less than top level action, Largemouth Bass still one of the most active bites this past week.
Smallmouth Bass: Good – Need to search a bit as they move back and forth between rock humps and coontail edges. Changes lake to lake and day to day. Ned jigs used to work TRD Worms and Crawz have been good. Drop-shotting 3 Wackys or 2 ½ Gulp Alive Minnows or even 2 ½ - 3 live muds or chubs working best.
Northern Pike: Good – Finally some good reports from guide Jason Heindl using spinnerbaits and #3 Mepps over green (or brown cabbage) weeds. Tops a 32 er with enough action to make things interesting.
Musky: Good-Fair – Fish location dependent on lake type. Big, deep lakes finding fish suspended following schools of bait fish. Shallower lakes, fish being found along both inside and outside weed edges. Smity’s new Wizard Spell bucktail has been hot with fish up to 45 this past week.
Crappie: Fair – Tall weed beds of 10-12’ mixed with grass. Cast tiny tubes, tinsel jigs or cover area with small minnows under floats. On Flowages, work wood, but keep in mind loose schools found cruising flats. Try drifting slip-floats with medium fats at varying depth until you can lock in.
Yellow Perch: Fair-Good – Mixed reports, usually being caught while fishing cabbage of 5-8’ using jig and crawler meant for Walleyes.
Walleye: Fair – Best on the larger lakes working 27-30’ gravel edges using chubs or whole crawlers on 1/4 - 3/8 oz jigs. When fishing these depths and deeper be careful to work fish up slowly. With the protected slots it’s more important than ever to protect those spawners!
Weather forecast looks good for the holiday weekend. Some cooler temps (highs in the 70’s Sat/Sun – 80 degrees on Monday should make for an enjoyable weekend on the water.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Kings, coho and a steelhead here and there are in close out of burns ditch and Michigan city fish 35 to 45 ft mag moonshine spoons and j plugs fished 30ft to bottom.
Kids in school kinda quiet
Labor Day weekend and Labor Day same hours here at slezs bait shop 5am to 6pm
ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
SHABBONA LAKE
John Honiotes at Boondocks reported hybrids doing well working shad running in the evening on topwaters in brief windows evenings; topwaters for largemouth bass; crappie 13-17 around trees; catfish and hybrids along the dam wall.
Site summer hours—6 a.m.-10 p.m.—run through Oct. 31.
Bait shop is open 6 a.m.-7 p.m. daily; restaurant, 11-8 daily.
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 salmon and trout are scattered; a few steelhead and walleye in the river.
Paddle and Pole hosts the Berrien Springs Fish Ladder Camera.
WISCONSIN DELLS
Hook-and-line sturgeon season in Wisconsin opens Saturday, Sept. 3, and runs through Sept. 30. Click here for the details. Click here for the harvest areas. Check with River’s Edge for the Dells area.
WISCONSIN RIVER
Rob Abouchar emailed the photo above and below, and this:
Hi dale the signs of the season of change are here and in the north woods. Here the acorns are falling and the first nighthawks were seen yesterday. On island lake the fish were more active and hitting fathead minnows and live worms. My neighbor jim finally broke through on the bass and I added another species; a hybrid striper. Gills also good early and late in the day.
I returned to the north woods and the forest tansy and goldenrod or heralding the coming fall. Friday the conditions on the Wisconsin river Alexander flowage were as close to perfect as I’ve ever seen. I continued my quest to catch a muskie on a wacky rigged senko. I only got smallmouth but they were good size and fought hard. Best color for the wacky rig was green pumpkin with purple and green glitter. A few trees are showing color change and it won’t be long till more color comes to the north woods.
On the music front a show with Midnite Mile on Friday in Mundelein with fireworks to follow... one more Summer blowout before the cool change comes.
And let me end with a note of thankfulness for his music report, too.
