Weather permitting, boaters at the breakwalls and shore fishermen are both taking perch. Adjust to weather conditions and change locations until fish are located. Boaters have been using pieces of softshells crayfish on jigs , minnows, Perch Erch Spinners and small jigs. Shore fishermen working Cubby Nail-tail and twister tails jigs tipped with a piece of softshell crab, nightcrawlers, or minnows fished close to the bottom. Shore anglers outside of harbors getting best catches before sun-up to 8 a.m. action slows on bright days when water is clear. Cloudy days fish will hold in closer for most of the day. Salmon continue to work on flies and dodgers and spoons in 45 foot of water.
LAKE MICHIGAN (WAUKEGAN, WINTHROP HARBOR) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Perch at Government Pier, East Wall and Johnson’s. Fish moved out quickly with sun up. Spike and jigs working well for shore anglers. Salmon are working out from 45 to 90 feet of water in good numbers. Out near Great Lakes in 50 feet steelhead are being located in 18 to 25 feet. Kings in 30 to 40 feet in fair to good numbers. North of Waukegan perch activity drops.
CHAIN O LAKES (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Muskie on small dark bucktails with bright color blades over weed beds. Walleye on leeches, nightcrawlers, spinners and minnows in areas that produce current. Largemouth bass on plastic worms and crankbaits along rocky shore structure. Bluegill in three to six foot of water on small slip bobbers and live bait. Everything north of McHenry Dam under normal operation, below dam has a no wake restriction.
FOX RIVER (STAR)(STAR)
River levels are up but they have stabilized. Catfish holding to breaks in current close to shore. Nightcrawlers, dead minnows and stink bait have been working. Carp have been taken in flooded lowlands out of the current on nightcrawlers. Smallmouth bass are scattered hard to locate.
WILLOW SLOUGH, IND. (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Bluegill on red worms and twister tail jigs all over. Catfish on nightcrawlers and stink baits. Largemouth bass improving slowly. Fish most active to feed from late afternoon to dark near outside edges of weedbeds. Water levels also up.
MICHIANA (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Perch at U.S. Steel Pier and Inland Wall in good size and numbers. Perch active from Illinois state line to St. Joe River, best baits have been crayfish, jigs, minnows fished very close to the bottom. Weather permitting trollers finding salmon out in deeper water on flies and dodgers or small spoons. Wolf Lake carp are good and largemouth bass best early in the morning around weed beds on crankbaits and spinners on the Indiana side.
KANKAKEE RIVER (STAR)(STAR)
River levels are dropping. Catfish are good close to the shoreline and in slack water areas. Top baits have been nightcrawlers, stink baits and dead minnows. All others are slow. Heavy rains can raise river levels quickly and change conditions.
BRAIDWOOD LAKE (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
LASALLE LAKE (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Water temperature continue to rise. Largemouth and smallmouth bass best on cloudy days. Catfish good on a variety of baits and bluegill are moving in small schools along the shore. Larger bluegill have been located off drop offs in deeper water. Locate one and additional fish will come. Walleye slow.
SHABBONA LAKE (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Plenty of catfish at the dam, deep trees, refuge area and near the campground. Better baits have been stink, chicken livers and nightcrawlers. Largemouth bass along the weedbeds on the east side of the lake. Plastic worms and top water baits dragged over the weeds enticing fish to strike just on edges of weeds; heaver line a must. Bluegill fair along most shoreline fish cribs. Walleye in brush pile near campground and barn foundation; leeches and minnows both working well. Lake levels are consistent even after a heavy rain. If water is muddy use scent or bait to improve your catch.
COOK COUNTY FOREST PRESERVES (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Maple Lake: Bluegill on small ice spoons tipped with spikes. Catfish best late afternoon to early evening. Papoose Lake: Bluegill good, largemouth bass slow. Sag Quarry West: Very large bluegill on leaf worms and small plastic worms. Tampier Lake: Largemouth bass and bluegill, better early or late in the day. Move around to locate actively feeding fish in all forest preserve lakes. Busse Lake: Walleye below the dam on worms and leeches, overcast days best. Plenty of bluegill on ice jigs tipped with wax worms.
EAGLE RIVER (WIS.) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Muskie have been taken on small bucktails and twitch baits. Walleye also continue to be good on jig and minnow or leeches. Largemouth bass on artificials holding to structure along shoreline and weedbeds. The Three Lakes Chain have numerous walleye holding to fish cribs and weed beds, many fish are on the small size. Perch and crappie good on Kentuck. Brook and brown trout hitting in the streams on insect hatches.
HAYWARD (WIS.) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Area lakes yielding numerous large muskie. Best bait have been Bucktails and crankbaits worked off sand bars and flats. Bluegill continue in large numbers and size in shallow water. Walleye and crappie slow due to most fishermen working for muskie.
LAKE GENEVA (WIS.) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Northern pike fair in 20 feet of water by military academy on golden roaches. Smallmouth bass off north shore on medium roaches and nightcrawlers. Bluegill still holding to fish cribs now.
DOOR COUNTY (WIS.) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Chinook salmon at the bank five miles out. Working the edges of the area have been best locations for larger kings. Steelhead six to eight miles out good on days when weather permits. Smallmouth bass in Little Sturgeon and Sturgeon bay on Rapalas, Berkley Power Baits. Perch slow.
MADISON CHAIN (WIS.) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Limit’s of perch are still being taken (50 fish limit) from Waubesa and Monona on red Willie Worms and insect larva. Turville Point and the Rock Pile are two of the better locations. Bluegill have scattered but taking Purple Willie Worms. In Waubesa perch and bluegills are holding in 15 to 20 feet. Bass and muskie are slow.
