Obviously, things changed radically over the last 10 days and that shows in this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report. I also suspect the rains may alter river fishing, too. A lot of anglers are getting antsy for perch to come in.
Michael Markese, the netman, emailed the photo at the top and this:
Chris Thompson finally caught this Steelhead on a spawn after fishing all month at Montrose with not much luck.
The variety of the lakefront brings its own rewards.
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).
AREA LAKES
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
Area lakes-bass have been good on jerkbaits worked along the outside weedlines. Let the fish dictate the cadence and pause as it changes daily. The best time has been the mid afternoon hours when the peak temperate hits.
. . .
TTYL
—
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
Pretty thin report this week. I did take advantage of the warm weather over the weekend. Of course, I had to battle high winds to do so-casting was a challenge. But the water had warmed slightly and fish were active. I got a few nice bluegills and some big green sunfish (images attached).
Fingers crossed that maybe the rain today will bring in some more salmon, steelhead and browns to the Lake Michigan tribs.
Pete
ILLINOIS FALL TROUT: Fall trout season for catchable rainbow is open, but we are two weekends in so catching slowed. 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.
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Closed.
CHAIN O’LAKES
Art Frisell at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said crappie are good on small fatheads or Rat Finkees, best on Marie; white bass are fair in 8-12 feet with Rat Finkees small minnows or spikes; some are trying for muskie with large suckers or large jerkbaits; bluegill are fair, still out in 8-12 feet, use waxies and ice jigs or try slip-bobber rigs;
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: The Stratton-Bolger facility is closed for the winter season each year from November 1 through April 30.
CHICAGO RIVER
Jeffrey Williams messaged the photo above and this:
Despite the cold front, we are still out here catching fish from the riverwalk
He also sent photos of carp and largemouth bass.
COOLING LAKES/STRIP PITS
Heidecke, LaSalle, Braidwood and Mazonia (except Monster Lake is open all years) are closed.
DES PLAINES RIVER
Nate Toranzo emailed the photo above and this:
Hey dale! Things are wild! Saturday didn’t disappoint by a longshot! I fished the fox in yorkville and oswego and caught a ton of smallies and dill pickle sized walleye.no size.then in the evening I fished thru the night on the des plaines and caught sauger after sauger on a chartreuse twister tail and 1/8 oz jig,this one going close to 3 lbs.thanks for your great reports and tight lines! Nate
DOWNSTATE
POWERTON: Hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Final day for shore fishing is Friday, Oct. 28.
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
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.
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed for the season.
FOX RIVER
Vince Oppedisano emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale,
Fished the Fox River over the weekend targeting smallmouth again.
Levels are very low so it was tough finding too many from the bank. Had better luck casting crankbaits again into deeper pools while wading. Focusing on bridges, rocky areas & structure, found about 25 over the past few days. No giants, but a lot of really solid, healthy fish on the fall feed. Biggest one attached, guessing it was maybe 17 inches or so but FAT.
Even the smaller ones were chunky and seem to be feeding up aggressively. A couple almost inhaled the lure.
Beautiful weekend too— seems like the peak time right now to see all of the autumn colors out there.
Nate Toranzo emailed:
Hey dale! Things are wild! Saturday didn’t disappoint by a longshot! I fished the fox in yorkville and oswego and caught a ton of smallies and dill pickle sized walleye.no size.then in the evening I fished thru the night on the des plaines and caught sauger after sauger on a chartreuse twister tail and 1/8 oz jig,this one going close to 3 lbs.thanks for your great reports and tight lines! Nate
GENEVA LAKE, WISCONSIN
Mark O’Neill emailed this in his update for structure-fishing:
Hello All,
Hope all is well with all of you and that you are getting out on the water, as we are now in the best time of year for those bigger fish!
Geneva has been very productive in recent weeks with a number of 5 pound plus SMB being caught and the lake will continue to produce these larger fish as the water gets cooler. The key I have found at this point is to use your electronics to find the live weeds that are holding the baitfish, as the predators will always be around in that situation.
For those on Facebook, there are a number of images of recent catches on my Facebook page, Structure-Fishing with Mark O’Neill (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063575737588).
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris texted the photo above and emailed this:
Fishing Report – 10/24/2022
Mike Norris
Big Green Lake – With a surface water temperature of around 55 degrees Big Green is turning over. Anglers are struggling to put together anything more than one or two fish as the smallmouth bass bite in 12 – 14 ft of water has died along with the weeds. The winning weight in a small bass tournament on the lake last weekend was only 11.95 lbs. Nonetheless, I found hungry bass up to 5 lbs. had moved shallow and were now favoring areas with rock and gravel in 6 – 8 ft of water. Jerkbaits and swim jigs were the perfect for working over the shallower rock. The perch bite remains good on shallow sand flats in 10 – 12 ft of water. Beyers Cove is holding some nice bluegills under the piers.
Beaver Dam Lake - Shore fishing for walleyes on Beaver Dam is good on crankbaits and rattle traps. Try a minnow on a split shot rig if targeting walleyes below the dam.
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR weekly report.
Lance LaVine at Howie’s Tackle in Sturgeon Bay emailed this:
Good morning fellas. Here is a quick update on the fishing
We have had to deal with lots and lots of wind up here in the county for basically the past 2 weeks. With that said, the reports have been limited, but this is what we’ve been hearing.
The Perch fishing has been super when you are actually able to get out there. Areas to try your luck include…The Sturgeon Bay ship canal, Sawyer Harbor, Riley’s Bay and Little Sturgeon. Fathead minnows is the best live bait right now.
The Pike fishing has been fantastic as of late and that fishing should stay great right though ice-up. There are just lots of Pike around. Sturgeon Bay ship canal, Riley’s Bay and Little Sturgeon are all great options for those Pike. Spinner baits, large spoons, large plastics, jerk baits and sucker minnows are all great options
The night time Walleye bite is starting to kick in as it usually does here in October. Trolling with suspending crank baits along the rocky shoreline drop-offs generally the ticket in the fall
The bass fishing reports have been very good when folks can get out there. Concentrate your efforts around steep shoreline drops and off-shore structure near the wintering spots. 15 to 35 feet of water is generally the best depth in the fall. Howie’s Shorty tubes, drop shot plastics, ned rigs, jerk baits, A-rigs spinner baits and medium sucker minnows all great options in the fall
Thanks
Lance LaVine
Howie’s Tackle 1309 Green Bay Rd Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 Ph: 920-746-9916
HEIDECKE LAKE
Closed.
KANKAKEE RIVER
Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale, The river temp is right at 55 now, low with good visibility down to 3’. Caught this one in a Rapala crainkbait in shad colors. The fishing this weekend was tough due to strong winds out of southwest. Also caught a few on finesse baits. Noticed Smallmouth chasing shad to surface so soft jerk baits should work as well. Walleye bite is slow
Ken “Husker” O’Malley emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
. . .
Kankakee River- water levels are extremely low and clear. The good news is we should receive a good amount tomorrow. Jerkbaits with a #6 Vector hooks tornado trebles have been the most consistent bait for smallmouth. Deeper pools and current seams have been the best areas. Changing size and color is a must to continually stay on fish.
. . .
TTYL
—
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
LAKEFRONT
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
LETTING YOU KNOW WE WILL BE OPEN INTO EARLY DECEMBER.STILL QUITE A BIT OF FISHING ACTION ALONG THE LAKEFRONT. KINGS, COHO AND STEELHEAD CASTING SPOONS AND CRANK BAITS. FRESH BAITS SUCH AS SPAWN, MED.& LARGE SHINER MINNOWS AND NIGHT CRAWLERS UNDER A SLIP FLOAT. BOTTOM FISHING WITH CUT SHAD AND SPAWN, ALSO DOING WELL WITH WAX WORMS ON A HAIR OR TINSEL JIG. NICE NORTHERNS STILL BEING CAUGHT IN THE MIX. NO SMALLMOUTH REPORTS. PERCH PROBABLY STILL A COUPLE WEEKS AWAY.
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).
d) Disposition of Snagged Salmon and Paddlefish. All snagged salmon and paddlefish must be removed from the area from which they are taken and disposed of properly, in accordance with Article 5, Section 5-5 of the Fish and Aquatic Life Code.
LaSALLE LAKE
Closed.
MAZONIA
Closed, except Monster Lake is open all year.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
Weekend turned out very nice with temps in low 70’s by Sunday afternoon – far cry from previous weeks wind, cold and snow. Some could say almost too nice as it seemed the Musky action dropped off as the weather got better. But still, a very nice weekend to be on the water during the waning weeks of the open water season.
Musky: Very Good-Good – Mid-week action was hot as lots of anglers reported multi fish days! A healthy mix of action from both artificials and live bait, with suckers holding a slight edge. Reports of surface temps from 44-47 degrees following the cold week previous helped get the feed bag on. Musky moving outside weed lines now that colder temps have pushed bait fish out of shallows. Suspended fish have also been active on large rubber baits and slashing big twitch baits over deep water. Another cool down mid-week should spark some more activity.
Walleye: Very Good-Good – Finding pods of fish relating to deeper gravel slides and soft bottom along edges to these slides has been key. Verticle fishing redtail or black chubs and jigging Shiver Minnows and Jigging Raps (#7 and #9) have all produced well. Be careful reeling these deep-water fish up. Slow, so as not to cause fast pressure changes that can kill these fish. Remember, the health of those big girls is important to the future of our fishery, se be responsible and retrieve and release those big ones.
Crappie: Very Good-Good – Calmer days lead to easier fishing. Deep water Crappies bit well using medium fatheads under floats in 20-24’ of water. The deepest drowned wood you could find also seemed good for holding Crappies.
Smallmouth Bass: Very Good-Good – After an absence, anglers found hot Smallie action on gravel humps in 22-32’ of water. Nice fish of 17-20 taking 3-5 suckers, redtails and black chubs on 3/8 oz jigs or Lindy style rigs.
Northern Pike: Good – Most reports from anglers targeting Pike with chubs or suckers under floats or from incidental catches on twitchbaits and jerkbaits meant for Musky.
With night time temps slipping back into the upper 20’s / lower 30’s and highs in the upper 40’s to upper 50’s by the weekend, look for another week of good fishing and pleasant fall weather to fish in. Remember, most state-owned piers have been pulled, so wear knee boots for launching and make sure your bow rope is attached!
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Groups still chasing after salmon in the upper stretches of nwi tributaries.
Crappie for boat fishermen fishing around the 249 bridge and boat slips good using crappie minnows
Had some friends check cal park area for perch water still little dirty and warm.
Bit early for the perch, we are guessing.
Christina Petrites at Stan’s Bait & Tackle Center in Hammond emailed:
Hi, Dale! Looks like the last day of the super warm weather, even though it’s supposed to warm back up in about a week or so. Here’s what’s been happening in the fishing world in our area:
Lake Michigan fishing has slowed down a lot, so more anglers are heading to the rivers & streams. Maglips & flatfish along with spawn sacs & skein are working best for the Steelhead.
Inland fishing is still only fair, with red worms working best.
ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
SHABBONA LAKE
John Honiotes at Boondocks reported walleye still best by the wall by dam, bluegills are still hitting. Boondocks and the restaurant plan to close on Sunday, Oct. 30.
Site summer hours—6 a.m.-10 p.m.—run through Monday, Oct. 31. Site winter hours—Nov. 1 to Jan. 31—are 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LAKEFRONT
Click here for the southern Lake Michigan reports from the Wisconsin DNR.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Phil Schuman at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said some steelhead in the river, which is very low and clear, better by Berrien Springs.
Paddle and Pole hosts the Berrien Springs Fish Ladder Camera.
WINNEBAGO SYSTEM, WISCONSIN
Reminder, if planning to spear sturgeon this winter, you need your license by Monday, Oct. 31.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
The bite for everything slowed down with a strong cold front early last week. Good news is it’s getting better every day. Crappie action continued good over the weekend. Walleye bite is picking up in the lower river near Poygan up to Orahula.
