T_boy
04-25-2008, 07:15 PM
LEGEND: *****–excellent; ****–very good; ***–good; **–fair; *–poor
Lake Michigan (Chicago lakefront)
***1/2 Coho remain hot, particularly at Belmont, Montrose, the Planetarium and 31st and 63rd streets. Best action just outside of harbors, with coho biting on variety of baits. Steelhead and browns active inside harbors on plastics. Perch slow, with Navy Pier best bet. Smelt quiet; season ends next week.
Lake Michigan (Lake County)
***1/2 Open-water anglers hitting perch limits between Waukegan and Great Lakes in 45 to 55 feet of water fishing bottom on fatheads and minnows. Trollers getting excellent coho results in 60 to 65 feet. Perch haven't ventured close to shore yet, but there's good brown activity and some coho.
Lake Michigan (Northwest Indiana)
**1/2 Good coho activity with fish between 18 to 23 inches in length. Dodgers and flies, body baits and spoons most effective. Smallmouth bass picking up along breakwater near Hammond Marina, Inland Steel Wall and protected areas of Buffington Harbor. Yellow perch very good out of East Chicago.
Southeast Wisconsin
*1/2 Kenosha harbor fishing remains slow overall. In Racine, Root River levels continue to drop but poor clarity affects steelhead activity. In Milwaukee, shore anglers near Summerfest grounds catching browns on spawn sacs. Open-water anglers catching good number of browns in Milwaukee harbor.
Inland Chicago and Cook County
** Crappies good at Saganashkee Slough. Channel catfish improving while smallmouth bass fair at Skokie Lagoons. Crappies and bluegill fair at Busse Lake.
Chain O' Lakes
**1/2 Action picking up as high waters recede and currents slow, although much of system remains a no-wake zone. Walleyes biting on large fatheads off bottom on Fox and Petite lakes while crappies active on Channel Lake near Illinois Route 173 bridge. Bass hitting in shallow waters; muskies are slow.
Kankakee River
**1/2 Fishing conditions improved on both sides of state line. In Illinois, smallmouth good around Momence and Aroma Park with pike and crappies reported. Kankakee Dam through Sawmill Creek good for walleyes, smallmouth bass and catfish. In Indiana, pike fair to good in ditch mouths and deeper ditches. Walleye fair along shorelines; largemouth bass good in bayous.
Fox River ( Batavia)
**1/2 Dropping levels and increasing water temperatures—now in the 50s—means improved conditions. Currents still fast, but smallmouths starting to hit and walleye action reported good. Even a few muskies reported.
Compiled by Jack McCarthy from pro and bait shops and state natural resource reports.
Lake Michigan (Chicago lakefront)
***1/2 Coho remain hot, particularly at Belmont, Montrose, the Planetarium and 31st and 63rd streets. Best action just outside of harbors, with coho biting on variety of baits. Steelhead and browns active inside harbors on plastics. Perch slow, with Navy Pier best bet. Smelt quiet; season ends next week.
Lake Michigan (Lake County)
***1/2 Open-water anglers hitting perch limits between Waukegan and Great Lakes in 45 to 55 feet of water fishing bottom on fatheads and minnows. Trollers getting excellent coho results in 60 to 65 feet. Perch haven't ventured close to shore yet, but there's good brown activity and some coho.
Lake Michigan (Northwest Indiana)
**1/2 Good coho activity with fish between 18 to 23 inches in length. Dodgers and flies, body baits and spoons most effective. Smallmouth bass picking up along breakwater near Hammond Marina, Inland Steel Wall and protected areas of Buffington Harbor. Yellow perch very good out of East Chicago.
Southeast Wisconsin
*1/2 Kenosha harbor fishing remains slow overall. In Racine, Root River levels continue to drop but poor clarity affects steelhead activity. In Milwaukee, shore anglers near Summerfest grounds catching browns on spawn sacs. Open-water anglers catching good number of browns in Milwaukee harbor.
Inland Chicago and Cook County
** Crappies good at Saganashkee Slough. Channel catfish improving while smallmouth bass fair at Skokie Lagoons. Crappies and bluegill fair at Busse Lake.
Chain O' Lakes
**1/2 Action picking up as high waters recede and currents slow, although much of system remains a no-wake zone. Walleyes biting on large fatheads off bottom on Fox and Petite lakes while crappies active on Channel Lake near Illinois Route 173 bridge. Bass hitting in shallow waters; muskies are slow.
Kankakee River
**1/2 Fishing conditions improved on both sides of state line. In Illinois, smallmouth good around Momence and Aroma Park with pike and crappies reported. Kankakee Dam through Sawmill Creek good for walleyes, smallmouth bass and catfish. In Indiana, pike fair to good in ditch mouths and deeper ditches. Walleye fair along shorelines; largemouth bass good in bayous.
Fox River ( Batavia)
**1/2 Dropping levels and increasing water temperatures—now in the 50s—means improved conditions. Currents still fast, but smallmouths starting to hit and walleye action reported good. Even a few muskies reported.
Compiled by Jack McCarthy from pro and bait shops and state natural resource reports.