Lake Michigan (Chicago lakefront)
* 1/2
Limited perch action because of warmer lake conditions. Salmon also reported only fair as they’ve moved out to cooler, deeper waters.
Lake Michigan (Lake County)
** 1/2
Salmon biting in very early morning hours — no later than 4:30 a.m. — in 60 to 90 feet between Waukegan and Great Lakes. Some perch found in 30 to 60 feet. Shoreline anglers catching perch at the halfway point and end of Government Pier and the South Rocks on softshells and minnows.
Lake Michigan (Northwest Indiana)
** 1/2
Perch slow in southern Lake Michigan, partly due to rougher lake conditions. Coho and chinook activity good out of East Chicago in depths up to 95 feet on dodger and flies and spoons. Some steelhead reported near Michigan City lighthouse, with increasing numbers caught from Trail Creek.
Southeast Wisconsin
**
Shore action still slow from Kenosha north to Sheboygan. Early morning Kenosha trollers finding good numbers of chinooks and rainbows, along with a few lake trout in 50 to 90 feet of water. Also good morning chinook and rainbow activity near Racine in 70 to 90 feet and going as deep at 160 feet later in the day. Milwaukee boaters finding fair numbers of perch on small minnows.
Southwest Michigan
** 1/2
Chinook and steelhead available straight out or north of St. Joseph on spoons and J-plugs in 75- to 85-foot depths. Good action around Grand Haven piers, with anglers catching salmon and perch on slider rigs with alewives.
Chain O’Lakes
** 1/2
Pace has slowed throughout system, although walleye still active in currents in Fox and Pistakee lakes. Some stripers and catfish also reported. Good bass action in cooler waters on frogs — mainly in thick weeks or weedy edges. Bluegill and perch biting in shallows.
Kankakee River
***
River improved for boat fishing, but some locations still blocked due to sandbars and logs, particularly near state line. Great catfish action reported in both Indiana and Illinois on minnows, nightcrawlers, crawfish and cheese baits. Some top spots include Old River Isle site through Momence, Aroma Park area, Kankakee Dam through Station Street Bridge to Rex Island. Fishing improved for smallmouth and largemouth bass, pike, crappie and rock bass.
Fox River (Batavia)
** 1/2
Catfish biting on just about anything, ranging from minnows to stinkbait. Walleye reported light, while smallmouth action is fairly good.
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Compiled by Jack McCarthy from pro and bait shops and state natural resource reports.
EDITED BY THOMAS L. OUTLAW AND DAMIAN HOPKINS
