Lake Michigan (Chicago lakefront)
**
Perch slowing as coho move in, particularly in open waters at edge of Montrose Harbor on crawlers and spoons. Brown and steelhead active at the state line around 95th Street. Browns also available at the pipe at Burnham Harbor.
Lake Michigan (Lake County)
1/2
Waukegan area piers now accessible, but little action reported this week. Changing winds sometimes send ice chunks near shoreline and harbors. When clear, anglers should be able to find browns.
Southeast Wisconsin
* 1/2
Kenosha’s Pike River remains open in stretches with steelhead spotted in Petrifying Springs Park area. Anglers should find brown trout in open water in the harbor. In Racine, Root River mostly ice-free, with good numbers of brown trout and steelhead caught in Lincoln and Colonial Parks.
Chain O’Lakes
** 1/2
Thick ice remains on lakes — up to 18 inches — but Fox River has open water in spots, and action throughout system has been slow. In Channel Lake, a few bluegills reported, and crappies should pick up soon. Lakes Catherine and Marie also should see crappies action increase. Little walleye activity reported.
Kankakee River
* 1/2
River is still high, but conditions improving. Some smallmouth bass and walleye have been caught recently.
McHenry County Conservation District
**
Ice still solid at five district sites, but could be last weekend for ice fishing as weather warming. Open locations: Cary’s Fel-Pro main pond, Lake Atwood at the Hollows and Lyons Prairie and Marsh; McHenry’s Stickney Run pond and Harvard’s Rush Creek pond.
DuPage County preserves
**
Ice anglers finding bluegill and largemouth bass on waxworms at Round Meadow Lake at Hidden Lake Forest Preserve. A 15-inch largemouth reported, caught with a cicada lure. Open-water anglers finding variety of species under spillway at Bloomingdale’s Spring Creek Reservoir and under the Graue Mill Dam at Fullersburg Woods. Silver Lake, Deep Quarry Lake and Grove Lake all close Saturday to allow stocked trout to acclimate for April 5 season opener.
———-
Compiled by Jack McCarthy from pro and bait shops and state natural resource reports.
EDITED BY THOMAS L. OUTLAW AND DANIEL ELLMAN
