Look for coho action to get much better with surface water temperatures rising. Montrose and Belmont harbors have been the best spots for coho on spoons, night crawlers or powerlines between 11.a.m. and 4 p.m. Perch have been taken in Montrose Harbor, off the north side of Navy Pier, 95th Street and at the 92nd Street bridge in the Calumet River. At the Stateline Power Plant, shore anglers are taking coho and brown trout on golden roaches or a small silver-and-blue spoon. In Indiana, limit catches of coho were taken from the Gary Lighthouse with many fish in the 22- to 23-inch class. Trollers coming out of Pastric Marina are locating good numbers near the hole in the wall. Rattling baits and flies and dodgers are your best baits.
Lake Michigan (Wauk.) **+
Anglers fishing off the South Rocks and the Johnson Pier are finding brown trout numbers increasing and coho starting to improve. Lake shiners fished from 2-to-6 feet off the bottom with a stinger hook are taking the most brown trout.
Cook and DuPage preserves **+
Tampier Lake: Very good crappie fishing has come from the west end of the lake and off 131st Street on small minnows. Saganashkee Slough: Fair bluegill and yellow bass were taken near the dam. Catfish were taken from the creek mouth in the northeast corner of the lake after a rain. Inland trout season opens April 3, with the following Cook County lakes receiving stockings: Axehead (2,500), Belleau (2,500) and Sag Quarry East (1,000). In DuPage County, these lakes are receiving stockings: Silver (4,400), Deep Quarry (1,800) and Grove (300).
Chain O’ Lakes *+
Crappie have been taken in the main channel, brush and backwaters, but with the warm weather more fish are expected to move into these areas. Walleye are shallow on the flats and main lake points now on Nippersink, Fox and Marie.
Illinois River **+
Sauger are still active with most being taken vertically jigging a minnow and making bottom contact. A few white bass and stripers were taken by shore anglers and boaters below Starved Rock Dam. There are two major fishing tournaments set for this weekend, so the river may look like the Dan Ryan Expressway with all the boats projected to be on the water.
Fox River **+
Several smallmouth bass have been taken along with a number of small walleye on a simple minnow and split shot rig dragged along the bottom. Feeder creeks flowing into the river could be good locations over the weekend for crappie.
Kankakee River ***
Walleye are active from Momence downstream through Kankakee to Wilmington on a rattlin’ rogue or a jig and minnow. Notable catches have been Jeff Dummer’s 4-pound-13-ounce walleye, Tom Denoyer’s 11-pound-10-ounce northern pike, John Surprenant’s 23-pound and Mike Kyrouac’s 20-pound buffaloes. Smallmouth bass also are hitting minnows, plastic and spinners. Northern pike are best in the bayous, sloughs and ditch mouths in Indiana and Illinois waters.
Rock River **+
Water levels are very good and many walleye are being drawn to and taken below the Oregon Dam on minnows and minnow imitators.
Shabbona Lake *+
Look for crappie and bluegill to be closer in near fish cribs and earthen piers.
Wolf Lake (Indiana) ***
Walleye have been very active in the Maizo Channel on white megabaits.
Muskegon Lake (Mich.) **+
Perch have been doing very well on minnows in many parts of the lake. Steelhead also have been taken well up into the Muskegon River.
Kalamazoo River (Mich.) ****
Steelhead were hitting spawn sacs and jigs tipped with small pieces of bait worked in the deeper holes and slack water pools.
Root River (Wisconsin) **+
Water temperature has risen to 39 degrees. Conditions on the river are good and the water flow is about normal. Steelhead were caught sporadically on flies in the deeper holes near Quarry Park.
Wisconsin River (Dells Dam) **+
The walleye fishing below the Dells Dam has been very consistent for small male fish. Anglers have been taking good numbers, but most are in the 12- to 14-inch class.
THIS WEEK’S HOT SPOT: Braidwood Lake
Shoreline anglers and boaters both are doing very well for bluegill and catfish close to shore along the rocky edges. Best baits have been a small jig with a twister tail or Mini Mite for bluegill; catfish have preferred night crawlers, chicken livers and fresh shrimp.
Sources: ESRI, GDT
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