Perch still hitting at north end of Navy Pier on minnows, spikes on leadheads fished on bottom. Waukegan power plant not pumping warm water, action slow. Zion activity productive for small boats drifting at discharge, for cohos and browns on shiners.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Perch best catch through ice in backwaters and ponds. Upper end of Spring Lake yielding panfish. Sabula yielding bluegills, few crappies. Ice shaky and action slow at Barge Lake. Decent walleye action at Bellevue and at Lock 13, out from lower lock wall. Ice fishing spotty at Lake Onalaska-crappies biting, but tough to find, on jigs and waxworms on bottom; good numbers of small bluegills, northern pike and bass just starting. Walleye biting below Dresbach Dam.
CHAIN O`LAKES (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Good striper action in Pistakee, Marie and Bluff lakes. Catfish sporadic. Bluegills biting in north end of Channel. Walleye mostly undersized. Ice safe but shaky in spots-Minneola Bay most unsafe in area.
KANKAKEE RIVER (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
River in good condition. Few nice 5-6-pound northern pike and walleye reported, along with a few good-sized smallmouth.
FOX RIVER (STAR)
Few stripers, crappies and small walleye at Aurora. Area ponds thawed.
SHABBONA LAKE (STAR)(STAR)
Anglers starting to take few bluegills and crappies on waxworms and minnows in cribs and trees. Caution advised on ice, which is 4-5 inches thick. ST. JOSEPH, MICH. (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
River conditions good-water low and clear. Good numbers of steelhead throughout river, best in morning using fish eggs on bottom or slow-trolling FlatFish, Hot `N Tots and Tadpollies. Walleye slow.
MADISON, WIS. (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Mud Lake yielding mostly small bluegills, few northern and 2-3-pound bass. Perch hitting on Kegonsa, Waubesa, Mendota. Monona`s Squaw and Monona bays good early and late afternoon for panfish. Caution advised on all ice-Monona has 4-6 inches, Mud Lake 6-7 inches, Waubesa 4-6 inches. Kegonsa 6 inches.
EAGLE RIVER, WIS. (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Nice catches of jumbo perch on Yellow Birch Lake, in six feet of water. Lac Vieux Desert yielding crappies and bluegills on waxworms and minnows. Few good-sized walleye reported out of North Twin late at night on large shiners. Some areas of Eagle River Chain still remain free of ice.
LAKE POYGAN, WIS. (STAR)(STAR)
Few northern pike, bluegills, crappies, white bass and perch taken through 10-12 inches of ice. Butte des Morts yielding white bass, panfish, occasional perch and bluegills.
LAKE WINNEBAGO, WIS. (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Action good for perch, white bass, crappies and bluegills. Walleye and northern pike slow. Bays have best ice, along with Carp Pond and Asylum Bay.
