Again salmon and trout on the lakefront lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report; plus on Saturday, openers come for Illinois’ catch-and-release fall trout season as well as salmon snagging at select spots on the Illinois lakefront.
As the top photo shows, fall color and fall weather creeps closer and seeps in.
SHORELINE SALMON/TROUT
Brian Caunter at Henry’s Sports and Bait said Chinook, some coho, too, remain active; fish are flooding into the harbors, lots of guys seeing and catching them.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
. . . Kings and Cohos still doing pretty well. A few Steelhead in the mix no reports of Browns yet. I haven’t heard much on bait yet still casting spoons and crankbaits.
It’s not just Chinook and coho coming near shore.
Heath Andre emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale
I wanted to share my beautiful 11lb steelie caught from Diversey Harbor . Caught on a green Oslo spinner.
Best Regards
Heath Andre
That’s a classic lure I haven’t heard mentioned in a while.
Capt. Dan Leslie at the Salmon Stop in Waukegan said kings are in the harbor, but still mainly sporadic catches, mostly on spoons, especially orange and chartreuse.
Capt. Scott Wolfe of School of Fish Charters out of Waukegan emailed:
Hi Dale
. . .
In the harbor the fishing was slow. The kings are turning dark and are few and far between. The coho should be coming into the harbors this week and things should improve. If the water is warm skein and eggs should be used. If the water cools the fish will be more active and should hit casted spoons and Flicker Shad. I think most of us expected this to be a poor year for kings. I think we had lots of 3 year olds spawn last year, which frequently causes a gap year where few spawn. There are lots of 3 year old kings deep so it looks like we have a year with few 4 year olds and a year class of 3 year olds that are not spawning. The coho coming in should more than make up for it because it’s been trophy coho fishing all year.
Capt. Scott Wolfe
schooloffishcharters.com 312-933-0552
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station, Ind. texted:
Kings and coho in all northwest Indiana tributaries use spawn, skein and inline spinners
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor, Michigan, said a few kings and steelhead are in the St. Joseph River.
SALMON SNAGGING
Snagging season for Chinook and coho only in Illinois opens Saturday, Oct. 1. 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).
ILLINOIS EARLY CATCH-AND-RELEASE FALL TROUT
Illinois’ early catch-and-release trout season opens Saturday, Oct. 1. Nearby early catch-and-release sites are (Kankakee County): Rock Creek at Kankakee River SP; (Ogle): Pine Creek, White Pines Forest SP; (Jo Daviess): Apple River, Apple River Canyon SP.
Click here for the statewide announcement.
ILLINOIS FALL TROUT
Fall trout season for catchable rainbow trout in Illinois opens Oct. 15. As usual, anglers 16 and older need an inland trout stamp and a fishing license. Daily bag is five trout.
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.
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 is June 15 to 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
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photos above and below, and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap if this past weeks fishing.
Mid Fall is here with the flip of the switch. Literally.
Area lakes- bass have slowed during the cold front. Focus efforts mid afternoon to early evening with slow moving baits like a senko.
Bluegill have been the most consistent bite. Active biters can be enticed with a Clam maki along mud flats. The down sizing to ice plastics did the trick.
Here is the nature pic of the week.
TTYL
—
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
. . .
Local pond and lake fishing improved. All the high winds earlier in the week moved some of the algae out of the way so that I could cast to open water. Largemouths, bluegills and green sunfish were on the prowl and eating aggressively.
. . .
Pete
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Final fishing day is Oct. 18.
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.
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Kyle Tepper at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said fishing is picking up, crappie are moving into the channels, some in the river, too, on minnows or plastics on slip floats; walleye transitioning from moving baits to crawlers, bigger ones on crankbaits shallow on Marie; white bass remain good on minnows or small crankbaits; largemouth moving deeper; suckers are in stock for muskies or use big rubber baits; lots of catfish on Channel or Fox on cut bait; bluegill mixed with crappie shallow on red worm or plastics.
LOCK NOTE: Beginning Saturday, Oct. 1, hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for October at the Stratton Lock and Dam.
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
CHICAGO RIVER
Jeffrey Williams messaged the photo above and this:
Minor Chicago river report(just remembered) white bass and crappies hitting good on minnows, mostly around structure area
COOLING LAKES/STRIP PITS
Final fishing days are Heidecke (Oct. 11), LaSalle (Oct. 15) and Braidwood and Mazonia (Oct. 18).
Braidwood, Heidecke, LaSalle and Mazonia are open daily 6 a.m.-sunset.
DOWNSTATE
POWERTON: Beginning Saturday, Oct. 1, hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Summer hours are 6 a.m.-8 p.m. through Friday, Sept. 30.
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed for the season.
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
Vince Oppedisano emailed:
Good morning Dale,
Fox River Kane County…
Overall it was another good week of smallie fishing.
Got out last Tuesday evening, waited out the brief but pretty severe storm that passed through and hit the river as soon as it cleared up. Levels seemed about as high as I’ve seen this year and the big ones were active. Got a 21 incher, then a half hour later landed another 21 (pictured) Unbelievable 90 minute session.
Levels dropped pretty quickly over the next few days, and water temps dipped into the 60s over the weekend. The bite slowed down, but still found a few decent fish on crankbaits.
It was really tough this past Sunday, put in several hours & only caught a few dinks.
Think it might be time to rethink the attack plan & start using some slower presentations for fall…
Considering the extended forecast, I think that last sentence holds a lot of truth.
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
I got a good look at the Fox last night. Water levels are still up, but clarity is good-no reason not to fish it. I fished one of its tributaries last weekend. On a previous visit, only days earlier, water levels were high for this time of year and it had some color. It’s a high gradient stream, so it clears and drops quickly. That was definitely the case over the weekend: low levels and the usual vodka-like clarity were restored. The crash that I’d seen days earlier, smallmouth herding baitfish into shallow water and then attacking, was finished. I got a lot of small smallmouths-there must have been some successful spawns in recent years-but the bigger fish were scarce. The only respectable ones I found were in deep slow water at the base of a steep bluff.
. . .
Pete
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris texted the photo above and emailed this:
Fishing Report – 09/26/2022
Mike Norris
Big Green Lake – Water temperature has dropped to 67 degrees and both smallmouth and largemouth bass remain active out on weed edges. Try drop shot rigs or tubes for both species. It took just over 18 lbs. to win a bass tournament on Big Green last Sunday. Bluegills remain excellent outside of weed edges and around cribs. Vertical jig with a drop shot rig with a small hook and half of a redworm. Lake trout moving shallower. Catch them by vertical jigging with three-quarter oz. Northland Rattle Spoon. Late trout fishing closes September 30th and does not reopen until January 1st.
Fox Lake – Largemouth bass and northern pike fishing is slow right now. Crappies are excellent at the Fox Lake dam. Try a jig and minnow suspended beneath a float. Anglers are catching walleyes trolling crankbaits
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR weekly report.
HEIDECKE LAKE
Final fishing day is Oct. 11.
Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this;
Hi Dale -Heidecke has improved steadily through last week. Made it out for a few hours in evening and caught several Bass on jigs and soft jerk baits. Also weighed up a 10 lb 9 ounce channel catfish that fell for a Ned rig. Is there anything that will not eat a Ned rig. A true multi species lure. Big largemouth was 3 and big smallmouth at 2.8. Another solid day from Heidecke Lake! Catch and Release
Is there anything that will not eat a Ned rig? Now there is a question.
Open 6 a.m. (6:30 bank fishing) to sunset.
KANKAKEE RIVER
Jeffrey Williams messaged the photo above and this:
Caught a total of 16 smallies, Jesses biggest was around a pound and Big Ts was hitting 2 lbs
Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale - Fished the river Sunday morning and was able to get out with my son Chase. His football/ school usually limits free time but Sunday clicked and we enjoyed our time together. Chase and I caught several quality smallmouth on dark finesse worms and Ned rigs. My son also caught a keeper size Walleye but unable to get a camera on it. River is in pretty good shape with some broken off weeds floating and clarity of a foot down in spots. Water temp was 67 and dropping. The next couple months will be outstanding for Both Bass and Walleye with fall settling in. Catch and Release
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
LAKEFRONT
SALMON SNAGGING: Snagging season for Chinook and coho only in Illinois opens Saturday, Oct. 1. 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).
Brian Caunter at Henry’s Sports and Bait said Chinook, some coho, too, remain active; fish are flooding into the harbors, lots of guys seeing and catching them; pike reports at 31st.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Short report because I’m I Wisconsin at a trade show and kind of focused on the hurricane but anyways Kings and Cohos still doing pretty well. A few Steelhead in the mix no reports of Browns yet. I haven’t heard much on bait yet still casting spoons and crankbaits. Smallmouth still good for those fishing for them.
Have a good week
Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters said weather is moving the fish around; out of North Point, some salmon near the Hill between 80-120, some days they can be caught if you put in the time, otherwise, it is past 180 feet to get into lake trout, which are starting to relate to the reefs; off Chicago, has good lake trout in 120-180 feet. Definitely not for small boats this time of the year.
Capt. Dan Leslie at the Salmon Stop in Waukegan said weather played havoc with boaters; as for shore anglers, kings are here, but still sporadic catches, mainly on spoons, especially orange and chartreuse.
Capt. Scott Wolfe of School of Fish Charters emailed:
Hi Dale
Again this week fishing was slow in general for anyone looking for anything other than lake trout and small salmon. The water was warm down to over 130 feet deep.
For boaters, water shallower than 140 was a waste of time. 170 - 300 feet of water held lake trout and small salmon. Green and Aqua spoons like Warrior Froggy and Hey Babe run over 120 feet down and Jimmy fly Mo rigs in white and yellow/orange on the bottom in 150 to 210 feet down produced. Most lake trout were inside of 210. Most salmon were deeper than 180.
In the harbor the fishing was slow. The kings are turning dark and are few and far between. The coho should be coming into the harbors this week and things should improve. If the water is warm skein and eggs should be used. If the water cools the fish will be more active and should hit casted spoons and Flicker Shad. I think most of us expected this to be a poor year for kings. I think we had lots of 3 year olds spawn last year, which frequently causes a gap year where few spawn. There are lots of 3 year old kings deep so it looks like we have a year with few 4 year olds and a year class of 3 year olds that are not spawning. The coho coming in should more than make up for it because it’s been trophy coho fishing all year.
Capt. Scott Wolfe
schooloffishcharters.com 312-933-0552
LaSALLE LAKE
Final fishing day is Oct. 15.
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.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
MAZONIA
Final fishing day is Oct. 18, except Monster Lake is open all year.
Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
With September winding down nicely, heading into what looks to be a typical October (not like last year), anglers should be hyped for some good fishing! Water temps raging from 62-69 degrees throughout the Lakland area, good pre-turn-over fishing going on.
Musky: Very Good-Good – Shallow action. Fish working inside weed edges attacking top-water and bucktails. This pattern will continue until turn-over so take advantage! Some sucker action being reported, this will improve as waters cool.
Northern Pike: Very Good-Good – Pike actively feeding shallow on small Perch. Spinnerbaits, swimbaits and jig and chub combos. Some top-water action also.
Smallmouth Bass: Good – Rock/gravel humps still continue to hold #’s, yet larger fish working coontail beds, inside weeds. Tube jigs for weed fish. Whopper Ploppers for the brutes that act like Musky near shore.
Walleye: Good – Daytime deep Walleyes vertical fishing with 1/4 - 3/8 oz jigs baited with chubs, fats or crawlers in 22-30’ water. Jigging Shiver Minnows and Jiggin Raps, very effective for the hot hitters. Evenings work the shallows as Eyes move into feed on small Perch. 1/16 oz jigs tipped with small-medium redtails, snap jigging 3 swimbaits or twisters in 2-6’ right before dark.
Bluegill: Good – Shallow weeds of 4-8’ holding Gills. Tiny jigs tipped with waxies or crawler pieces.
Largemouth Bass: Good – Work outside weed edges as Bass move away when Muskies move in. Drop-shots, Wacky Worms and Ned Rigs. Some good top-water in shallow where Musky aren’t a concern.
Yellow Perch: Good – Larger Perch relating to 8-14’ deep wood on medium fatheads. These 10-12 Perch roam in small packs it seems. Weed Perch more active, but sorting involved.
Crappie: Good – Typically better, but bite not hot. Drowned wood best. Medium fatheads under floats or casting 1/16 oz jigs with white, pink or yellow 2 twister tails.
With forecast of a couple mornings in the low 30’s for this week and few highs in the 60’s, water temps will continue to fall and the bites should heat up. Again, looking to be a more typical October, which bodes well for us anglers.
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 and coho in all northwest Indiana tributaries use spawn, skein and inline spinners
Crappie at lake George in Hobart using crappie minnows around the bridges.
Loomis lake in valpo still giving up panfish using red wigglers, crickets and beemoth.
Slez’s bait shop is now on fall and winter hours 5am to 5pm daily.
PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN
Wally Olson emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale,
Girl friend of mine & me fished Harbor (Coal Park ) at Port Washington on Friday late afternoon 9/23. Fishing was on fire with hand to hand combat where the power plant outflow is ! Kings were biting like crazy on spawn sacks , skein, and some caught on large minnows! 2 fish on at same time was common ! All I kept hearing was Fish on, fish coming down the wall ! Get your lines out ! Fish were mostly lite brown , great for smoking ! You gotta check this out ! I am attaching pic
He added in a follow-up:
Run a little late this year, but with westerly winds in forecast, it’s only going to get better as water cools in inner Harbor . The captain’s I talked to said they found cooler water already 25 feet down instead of 60 & 70 feet down !
ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
SHABBONA LAKE
Anthony said cooler water (dropping into the 60s) should spike the walleye in the next couple weeks; chicken liver has been working best for hybrid stripers and catfish, both.
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
. . .
I’d planned on going to Shabbona around sunset on Sunday and fishing into the night but talked myself into going in the afternoon due to the thick cloud cover. Big mistake: by the time I got there the clouds had cleared and I was faced with bright sun and a blue sky. All I got was a perch. I did find schools of shad and this had to be a different year class than the ones I’d seen on earlier visits. Those could only be handled by muskies and maybe some exceptionally large hybrids and channel cats. The shad I saw on Sunday were about the size of large minnows and are probably on the menu for most fish in the lake. More than a few were dead or dying. I’m not sure if it’s normal turnover for young fish or if there was an abrupt temperature change that put them in distress. But they were going to be easy pickings for whatever birds and fish found them first.
Pete
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 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. weekends.
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 wind is making fishing tough on the lake, but a few kings and steelhead are in the St. Joseph River.
Paddle and Pole hosts the Berrien Springs Fish Ladder Camera.
WISCONSIN DELLS
Hook-and-line sturgeon season in Wisconsin runs through Friday, Sept. 30. Click here for the details. Click here for the harvest areas. Check with River’s Edge.
WISCONSIN RIVER
Rob Abouchar emailed the photo at the very top and this:
Hi Dale
I had a quick trip to Merrill Wisconsin to check the house and fish a bit on Saturday morning before some home maintenance. The nimrods outnumbered the anglers as I saw only one other fishing boat all morning. Not too cool, cloudy but comfortable conditions had fish scattered. It is definitely a transition period with fish hitting here and there on different cover. Hunters blasts kept me from fishing some regular spots so I hopped around. As some hunters took down a duck and exchanged high fives I had some good action for pike in mixed hydrilla and eel grass. Pike were Hitting a bluegill color jackhammer bladed jig with an orange kalins grub trailer. I had some really big and fast hits on a black and blue senko. I missed a couple and landed a couple nice smallmouth around boulders. With frost predicted for midweek the fishing should improve and move into the fall feeding time...one of my favorites!
On the music front a possibility of sitting in with midnite mile in Mundelein again Oct 7 at teddy o’Brien’s, two shows with Ike The Thingfish Willis and looking to confirm Wild hare date should keep the positive vibes flowing.
Tight lines and good health!
Rob
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
Water temp is dropping into the 50’s. White bass and crappie are moving into the river. They’re a bit scattered now, but limits of crappie, and good catches of white bass coming in.
