Many lakes still have some ice away from the metro Chicago area but you must check conditions each time you venture out. Ice thins from underneath so it can be safe in one area and dangerous a few feet away. If you see ice that is darker than other spots, stay away, that’s thinning ice.
LAKE MICHIGAN (WAUKEGAN/ WINTHROP HARBOR) * +
Anglers working the drift at the power plant report spawn sacs have produced a few fish. Live bait seem to pull in a few more strikes over flies. Winthrop Harbor: Very slow, with light fishing pressure.
LAKE MICHIGAN (CHICAGO) * *
They are still ice fishing in some areas of the harbors but anglers said action is slow, and ice is beginning to get questionable. More anglers are looking for the open water areas along the lakefront. Navy Pier’s north side, which is open to fishing, is yielding mostly small fish. Some anglers report walking or riding their bicycles along the lakefront and fishing any open spot they can find. Light lines, minnows and small weights were working the best.
COOK COUNTY FOREST PRESERVES *
All lakes regulated to ice fishing are closed and have been closed to ice fishing for a few weeks. As shoreline areas open on county lakes, anglers should cast to the ice edges from shore with minnows or wax worms for bait. Anglers at Tampier Lake have been doing this and reporting taking a few fish. Crappie and bluegill will hold along these edges and northern pike will become more active in the same areas. The pike will take a little bigger minnow. Busse Lake also has a few anglers fishing the ice edges with mixed results. The key is live bait and don’t move it around.
CHAIN O’ LAKES, * * +
Ice conditions still good but in some areas you have to walk the plank to get access to the ice over shallow open water shoreline. Channel Lake was still the spot again for bluegills and some crappie action but the better ice anglers seem to be the more successful. Walleye reports are still unverified as to numbers and sizes of fish. The river above the Chain has been receiving some pressure but it has been light. Yellow bass on Marie were hitting wax worms on ice jigs.
SHABBONA LAKE * *
Ice conditions are still good. Anglers are finding most action around the fish cribs for bluegill and crappie. No walleye have been reported.
ILLINOIS RIVER *
The river is open but still up and muddy. Local anglers report they are looking to Sunday or Monday for their next trip for spring walleye and sauger. Bright jigs and minnows moved very slowly is what they will be trying.
KANKAKEE RIVER * +
River levels have come down, and the river is open. Live bait allowed to work on its own would be best option if you’re going to work the river.
ILLIANNA (ILLINOIS & INDIANA) * *
Boaters working the Indiana waters have taken coho and brown trout from Lake Michigan. Shore anglers at the discharges and creeks are also seeing more action and heavier fishing pressure on the weekends for steelhead.
BANGS * * +
Mostly bluegill and some crappie have been taken on live bait. Late in the afternoon perch have been taken on minnows in 10 to 15 feet of water. Tip-up action has all been slow.
SHELBYVILLE *
The ice is off the main body of water but those little coves are mostly ice covered and not safe to walk on. Below the main dam anglers trying for walleye found no one interested in biting.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER (ILL.) * *
While the main river has been quiet, some ice anglers working the backwaters near Savannah have taken some good size bluegills and an occasional bass. Live bait on a very light line and small ice jigs were the best option.
POYGAN (WIS.) * *
Northern pike slowed a little this week. Walleye have seemed to wakened and hit minnow offerings on tip-ups.
WINNEBAGO (WIS.) * * +
White bass fishing has been good but best to try bait about a foot or two off the bottom, but with very little movement to entice a bite. Bluegill, crappie and perch are also very active now through the ice.
PUCKAWAY (WIS.) * *
Better action is from noon to dark on tip-ups for northern pike but fish are getting smarter and stealing baits and setting off tip-ups and not getting hooked. Perch are best during the day.
PORT WASHINGTON (WIS.) * * +
Anglers working near the power plant warm water discharge have been catching brown trout on spawn sacs and shiners. Anglers at the north slip have reported catching a few browns on fathead minnows.
WOLF RIVER (WIS.) * +
Many anglers reported walleye, crappie and stripers were not around but a fair number of sheephead were caught.
MADISON CHAIN (WIS.) * * +
Ice conditions remain good. Ice thickness on area waters varies from 12 to 16 inches throughout the chain. Ice fishing overall has slowed. A few large walleye have been taken at night on Lake Mendota. Perch are scattered over the lake but anglers are finding a few fish. Bluegills have been biting on Monona Bay.
EAGLE RIVER (WIS.) * * +
Walleye improved in the mornings and evening on tip-ups dressed with golden shiners fished deep. Northern pike are aggressive in 6 to 12 feet of water along weed edges. Best to use tip-ups with a golden shiners or northern suckers. Crappie seek wax worms in very deep water, up to 30 feet in some areas. Bluegills also love wax worms in both deep water and in water less then 8 feet but all near the weeds. Perch are in the 30-foot range hitting on wigglers. Ice on area lakes has been slushy.
BOULDER JUNCTION (WIS.) * * *
The ice is good on area lakes, but because of recent snow, they are reporting it slushy in some areas. Walleye fishing has improved in 15 to 25 feet of water on tip-ups and golden shiners. Stable action was reported for smaller northern pike (hammer handles) along weed edges in up to 12 feet of water on golden shiners and tip-ups. Perch are good on wigglers in 10-plus feet of water. Bluegills were being caught both deep and shallow in the weeds on wax worms. A few crappie were caught on minnows, close to the bottom.
