Powerliners and pole fishermen are working coho and brown trout close to shore with nightcrawlers. Montrose Harbor, Diversey and North Ave. are reporting salmon as spotty. If casting is preferred stay with smaller spoons in green/silver or orange/silver. Smelting: Water temperature, wind, clarity and other conditions are right but the smelt are not cooperating. Late-night netters are even reporting poor catches. Perch: The 92nd and 95th Street bridges over the Calumet river are slow. Montrose Harbor Horseshoe large perch have started to make an appearance on minnows and Mini Mite jigs tipped with bait. Bait must be kept close to the bottom. Wolf Lake: Crappie and bluegill on small live baits, catfish slow but picking up.
LAKE MICHIGAN, WAUKEGAN (STAR)(STAR)+
Most activity is in the morning with bait at the power plant. Brown trout with a few coho mixed in on shinners, smelt and nightcrawlers. Thirty-inch plus leaders with a floating jig and a stinger hook are required to improve catch on short-striking fish. Government Pier coho are near the surface with brown trout cruising under them close to the bottom. Casters using small Cleos and Rattle Traps off the South Rocks or smelt as bait and reporting fair catches. Trollers are working out of the harbor and turning south to find better numbers of coho.
MICHIANA (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Boaters found coho and steelhead working in the top six feet of water. Fishermen are still using small spoons or nightcrawlers on slip bobbers set 4- to 5-feet down at the marinas. Willow Slough: Bluegill and small largemouth bass action has been reported on nightcrawlers and small spinners.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER (STAR)(STAR)+
Walleye and sauger are holding to wing dams and backwaters on the Illinois side. Backwaters are yielding bullheads on nightcrawlers and small largemouth bass on rattlin baits. White bass are beginning to show up at the dams taking small minnows on lead headed jigs. Maquoketa River: Catfish are the best on cut bait and nightcrawlers.
CHAIN O’ LAKES (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Bluegill continue to be hitting small ice jigs and wax worms. Crappie in dead-end channels and backwaters holding very tight to wood and other structure. User a float and a Ratfinkee or Poppee jig, allow wind to blow your bait into the brush. Catfish in the southern part of the chain are more active on minnows and nightcrawlers. Largemouth bass have moved into the shallow water locations across the chain.
COOK FOREST PRESERVES (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)+
Busse Lake: Crappie and bluegill at the dams, between the pools and now in the shallows near any type of wooden structure. Some catfish were taken at the creek mouth on the north side of the lake. Largemouth bass in the shallows on live minnows hooked so they can swim freely.A verified 10 lb. catfish was taken in the past few days. Tampier Lake: Small crappie and bluegill have been taken from the shore along the peninsula. Wax worms on small baits under a slip bobber have been good choices. The west shoreline has been fair for catfish. Maple Lake: Bluegill and small largemouth bass moved in the shallows, catfish have slowed. Papoose Lake: Bluegill on small baits and light line have been the best. Beck Lake: Very good on walleye, bluegill and largemouth bass.
DU PAGE FOREST PRESERVES (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
West Branch: Fathead minnows for largemouth bass. Mallard Lake: Crappie, fair on minnows, bluegill on worms and largemouth bass good on medium roaches. Northern pike have been small but very active on minnows and body baits.
LA SALLE LAKE (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Lots of white bass off either dike. Bluegill on small spinners and crappie minnows when wind isn’t a factor. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are being caught in fair numbers; most are small.
KANKAKEE RIVER (STAR)(STAR)+
Water levels are dropping. Catfish are aggressive. As conditions improve so will fishing. Watch the weather reports if the area is hit with heavy rains before the weekend,it will slow all fishing. At Wilmington dam, a few white bass being caught below the dam and a little way down river. Crappie and largemouth bass are fair in the backwater areas. Largemouth bass in the Des Plaines Conservation area are better on pig and jigs, medium roaches, or rattlin baits.
ILLINOIS RIVER (STAR)+
River back up and muddy. White bass have been the most productive in the creeks and rivers that feed into the Illinois. Look to the clearer water feeder creeks and rivers to find the fish. The little Vermilion and the Fox are a few of the better ones.
I/M CANAL: NEAR PERU (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)+
Crappie in good size are holding to the thick brush and trees in the water. Bluegill are also hitting small baits fished on light lines now. Red worms or small jigs are locally preferred.
FOX RIVER (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Walleye activity is spotty from below most of the dams. Smallmouth bass have been taken off current breaks and just inside backwater areas. Jig and minnow or twister tails are both producing well.
ROCK RIVER (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Smallmouth are popping Rooster Tails and small spinners. Walleye have stopped hitting. Crappie are spotty. Channel catfish are good on minnows.
BRAIDWOOD LAKE (STAR)(STAR)+
Largemouth bass on medium minnows good. Crappie on small jig and minnows or a small spinner run very close to cover. Northern pike on walleye jig and minnow rigs that fishermen are using near current locations.
SHABBONA LAKE (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Catfish fair in the no-motor area and the campground cove near were the creeks runs into the lake. Crappie in the fish cribs, off the north shore by the trees. Water temperature is 50 degrees; walleye and muskie are both poor.
WOLF RIVER (WIS.) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
White bass improved at the Eureka Dam and at the Winnecone Bridge.
LAKE ERIE (STAR)(STAR)+
Beginning to improve and then another storm would hit. Walleye are not on the humps yet. Jig and minnow worked in Little Cedar Point and in Two Saints Reef are two locations to try.
MADISON CHAIN (WIS.) (STAR)(STAR)
Bluegill and crappie on small ice jigs, work in the backwater areas that are warming first with the sun. All other game fish reopens May 7.
WESTERN MICHIGAN (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)+
Surf fishermen are finding brown trout in good number and size. Trollers are working between the sand bars and taking coho, brown trout, and steelhead. White River: A few steelhead and brown trout are hitting spawn sacs or bright colored imitation baits.
