Catfish, bluegill, perch, coho, summer patterns: Chicago fishing, Midwest Fishing Report

Jim Filipek with a fine catfish from the Chain O’Lakes last week.

Whether on lake Michigan (coho, steelhead, perch, lakers) or inland (bluegill, bass, catfish), more traditional summer patterns set up for this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

An FYI, I am in northern Michigan fishing the Au Sable and fitting in posting this around fishing, so you might want to check back as I might be adding a few updates when I get back in later tonight.

Also note that this week, there is a report from Mike Norris, long-time friend and Chicago-area fishing teacher, from his guiding on the Green Lake area in Wisconsin. I think that is a good area to add.

Dan Filipek emailed the photo above and this account, which made me smile:

Jim Filipek of Niles, Illinois caught this channel cat on a minnow in a channel off of Stanton Bay in the Chain O Lakes on June 29th. Jim, who recently retired from the Illinois Air National Guard with 42 years of service, looks forward to catching many more ‘cats’ with his newly found and well deserved free time.

(Submitted by Dan Filipek of Mount Prospect, Jim’s smarter and better fisherman older brother!)

It is catfish time of the year. And in my world, with four brothers, always a good time to rib your siblings.

KANKAKEE RIVER FISHING DERBY

The derby runs through Sunday, July 7. Through Tuesday morning, some of the more interesting entries on the Big Board were Paul Smith’s 7-13 walleye and James Merritt’s 23-11 flathead. More at http://www.kankakeefishingderby.com/

AREA LAKES

Just in time for the long holiday week, bluegill should be prime across area ponds and lakes.

Ken “Husker” O’Malley emailed:

Hey Dale,

Here is a recap of this past week’s fishing.

Area lakes- summer patterns are in full swing. Bass are good early morning hours on Texas rigged power worms dropped into open weed pockets. Heavy gear is needed to pull bass out of heavy cover with this technique.

TTYL

--

Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team

Pete Lamar emailed:

Hi Dale,

When I’ve been able to get out, it’s mostly been still water fishing for bass after sunset. As conditions have stabilized-by that I mean that most days are hot and humid and thunderstorms develop by afternoon-fish have settled into a pattern. There is a lot of frog activity close to shore and the bass seem to have noticed: they’re hunting in the thick vegetation. It’s a great time for poppers, sliders and divers. Bluegills are feeding in the open water beyond the weed edges.

. . .

Pete

CHAIN O’LAKES AREA

As of Tuesday, zones A and B on the river were no-wake but C was open with a debris advisory. Check updates at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.

Greg Dickson at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said catfish are good with the warming waters; look for bluegill shallow and around shaded areas; with the high fast water, walleye are going around current area and try for white bass in river with the current; as to muskie, well, Dickson caught a 46-incher on a 7-inch worm last week on Channel.

COOLING LAKES/STRIP PITS

I plan to hit Mazonia for my annual spring or summer wandering shortly, Mazonia should be getting going. Otherwise, Braidwood/Mazonia, Heidecke and LaSalle are open 6 a.m. to sunset.

DELAVAN LAKE, WISCONSIN

Dave Duwe emailed:

Delavan Lake 7/1/19 through 7/8/19

Fishing remains excellent. You need to go early to avoid the crowds. Most days there are between 100-150 fishermen out on the lake. The fishing has been awesome for bluegills and largemouth bass.

Largemouth bass fishing has been great. You want to fish underneath the north shore piers or on the deep weed line points. I’ve been fishing mostly with nightcrawlers on a split shot rig. A lot of jig fishermen have been catching as much as I have. Due to the time of year, the largemouth bass have schooled up so if you catch one, wait for another 3 or 4 in the same spot, don’t move too fast. For the docks, I’ve been using 5 inch Yum dingers, Texas rigged, in green pumpkin or green pumpkin metal flake. The best time has been early a.m. or late afternoon.

Bluegill fishing has been outstanding. The bigger bluegills are in 12-15 ft of water. Look for the fish by the Yacht Club or by Willow Point. The best approach is split shot rigging a small leaf worm with a single hook and small split shot. A lot of bluegills we’ve been catching are in excess of 9 inches.

Perch fishing has also been excellent in 8-12 ft of water. The best location has been by Browns channel or by Township Park. They are biting on big green hellgrammites or small leaf worms. They can be caught with a small split shot and a single hook or a Thill slip bobber about 1 ft above the weeds.

Northern Pike fishing has been very good average. The fish been biting very well in 17-21 feet of water.as well as recent years. The best bite has been lindy rigged suckers. The size of the suckers don’t seem to matter large or medium are catching fish. The best location has been just west of the Yacht Club and by Willow Point.

Walleye fishing has been average. The best presentation has been a lindy rigged nightcrawler or leech in 20 ft of water. Look for the fish by the concrete point or by the Yacht Club. The best time to fish has been early morning or at dusk.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050

DOWNSTATE

EMIQUON: Go to http://experienceemiquon.com/content/nature-conservancy-emiquon-preserve-lake-access. SHELBYVILLE: Check with Ken Wilson of Lithia Guide Service. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Check with Jason Johns of Boneyard Fishing. HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Open Tuesday through Sunday through Labor Day. Go to http://www.wetlands-initiative.org/dixon-fishing

FOX RIVER

Pete Lamar emailed:

Hi Dale,

. . .

As far as flowing water, the rivers aren’t as high as one might expect. They’re a little on the muddy side, but there is enough visibility. I went to the Fox yesterday afternoon after all the rain. I wouldn’t advise wading unfamiliar water, but water that is wadeable under most conditions can be waded safely now. Fish-mixed species-were feeding close to shore out of the current.

Pete

Plan to have an update from Violet Talley later today or tonight.

GENEVA LAKE, WISCONSIN

Dave Duwe emailed:

Lake Geneva 7/1/19 through 7/8/19

Fishing on Lake Geneva continues to be very good. The boat traffic has been very intense. Due to vacation season, you need to go early in the a.m.

Smallmouth bass are on the weed line in 15-20 ft of water. The best location is by Abbey Springs or by the Yacht Club. The best presentation is a 1/8 oz lindy sinker with a 2 ft leader and a small hook tipped with a nightcrawler. Most of the fish are biting within a foot of bottom.

Lake Trout are biting in the main lake basin in 115-120 ft of water. They are biting on nickel/blue or nickel/green spoons. I’ve been trolling between Conference Point and Cedar Point. The best time to go has been between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. The fish have been suspended until the sun gets too high, then they stick to the bottom.

Rock bass are biting in 12-15 ft of water. The best approach is a split shot rigged nightcrawler or a small hair jig. They can be caught when the wind is blowing well or electric motor trolling. The best location has been by the Military Academy or by Abbey springs.

Walleye fishing has been phenomenal. You want to fish at night in Trinkes or west of Abbey springs. The best depth has been 12-15 ft of water. Try large crank baits in chrome/black or perch color for the most action. Most of the fish are coming right off the weeds about 2 ft off bottom. The fish are very aggressive this time of year and remember you want to fish when its windy.

Bluegill fishing has been good in Geneva Bay. The bluegills are in 6-8 ft of water in and around the boat docks. You want to fish with leaf worms or small red worms underneath Thill slip bobbers. The key has been scattered weeds. The thick matted weeds haven’t been producing as many fish so you want the weeds with scattered sandy spots.

Northern Pike fishing has been all right, the fish are in 30 ft of water. They can be caught by using medium suckers fished on a lindy rig. The fish are being caught by Fontana Beach or in the narrows. The fish have been aggressive. It seems as though they haven’t seen a sucker in about a year. The best presentation has been slowly back trolling with the electric motor. You should be able to see the fish on your fish finder. If you don’t see any, move on until you see them.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050

GREEN LAKE AREA

Guide Mike Norris emailed:

Green Lake Area:

With warmer weather within the last week the water temperature at Big Green Lake has finally surpassed 70 degrees. Most bass (both large and small) are done spawning but a few bass remain on beds. Largemouth Bass can be caught by pitching Yamamoto Senkos around and under the docks and casting imitation frogs in the slop. Smallmouth Bass are feeding on crayfish right now and are very active over rocks. Try drop shot rigs tipped with Roboworms for the deeper fish. Topwater action for bass has been very good in the early morning hours. Northern Pike are also active in the same areas. Shallow water Walleye fishing has been outstanding this spring with many bass anglers reporting catching walleyes in 8 -12 feet of water while bass fishing but this bite is starting to show signs of slowing down as the Walleyes move deeper. Walleyes can be caught trolling crawler harnesses over the top of the weeds or crankbait trolling Salmo Hornets or Berkley Flicker Shads in 15 - 28 ft of water.

Largemouth Bass action remains good on Fox Lake where bass can be found around rock bars in the Government area. Chatterbaits are accounting for both Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike catches. Bluegill and Crappies have moved out to the weed lines and can be caught using slip bobbers and leeches or by trolling crankbaits.

Perch are plentiful on Little Green Lake, but you will have to sort through a lot of small ones before harvesting any keepers. Muskie are active along the weed edges and can be caught casting crankbaits and spinners.

For guide trips, please contact Mike Norris, Wacky Worm Guide Service, at 630-842-8199.

ILLINOIS RIVER

Projected to recede under flood stage at Starved Rock and LaSalle by mid-week. Check fishing updates with B & B Live Bait in Ottawa--(815) 433-0432.

KANKAKEE RIVER

Receding, but is high and stained. Some good fish are being caught as the derby shows.

LAKEFRONT

Perch at Montrose.

Stacey Greene at Park Bait texted:

Lots of perch limits being taken mostly on the lake side from the Horseshoe to the mouth of the harbor. It’s still an early bite (before sun up) for the most part. I’ve had a couple of guys tell me they’ve caught some later in the morning and afternoon just not as many. Hitting soft shells, minnows and some artificial baits as well such as Shad raps or Spinners with soft shells.

Nice Smallmouth being caught here at Montrose also at Belmont and Diversey Harbor.

Some nice size rock bass also.

Sheephead and carp popping up here and there. One of the kids came in with a 11 lb sheephead the other day.

Drum at Montrose.

Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters said that chunky coho are good in 75-120 ft. from straight off Chicago to Evanston; lakers are good more deeper than 120; out of North Point, it’s good coho with a few kings and lakers with some on the hill to some deeper than 200, best is 120-160; he runs nearly all Dodgers and flies.

Capt. Scott Wolfe emailed the photo below and this report:

Lake Michigan salmon

Waukegan – Fishing continues to be as good as it can get for early summer. Limit or near limit catches of big coho are the norm and they are huge. Several coho weighing in the teens are being caught and 8 and 9 pounders are becoming common. The biggest one I have seen is below (or attached), caught on June 30 by my friend and fellow Trollers Unlimited member Capt. Dan Wheeler on his charter boat KingFin. It weighed 18.4 pounds, a catch of a lifetime. 80 to 130 feet continues to be the ticket with nearly the entire catch being big coho. Occasional steelhead and smaller kings and smaller lakers are there too. Boats looking for mixed bags of fish have had the most success in 190 feet of water North of Waukegan, closer to the state line. Mixed bag catches of lakers, kings, steelhead and coho can be taken out there, but the number of fish are much less. It’s mostly boats tournament fishing that must get different species who have been going out there. For lures, Dodger/Fly combos have dominated with the larger 0 size Luhr-Jensen Dodgers and larger Jimmy Fly in Scotty (Green/silver), Two Tone (Light green/dark green combo) and Spectra (picture attached of spectra) have dominated. Orange spoons are also taking coho and getting nice, big steelhead with Warrior Orange Easter Egg and Steelhead Candy being best.

Chicago – Fair at best fishing was found off Chicago. Mixed bags of coho and lakers with an occasional steelhead and king can be found. But boats will have to make long runs to at least 90 feet of water east of the city. Fishing in the usual areas around the R4 were reported as slow. Boats did better either further south or running nearly to Waukegan, in between was very slow.

Predictions for this week – With the hot weather I expect the shallow presentations to become very unproductive. I’d recommend using leadcore, copper line and divers instead of shallow yellowbirds. These are already accounting for most of our catches. I think by next weekend my board rigs may be off the boat. I think the fish will likely not move much, although lower in the water column and maybe a little deeper waters. I expect Waukegan fishing to be outstanding for the next few weeks. Currently we have July 9, 13 and 14 available for charters. Have a great Independence Day Dale.

Capt Scott Wolfe

School of Fish Charters
630-341-0550
www.schooloffishcharters.com

MENOMINEE RIVER, WISCONSIN

Guide Mike Mladenik (http://www.bigsmallmouthbass.com/) emailed:

Menominee River Topwater Bite Continues

The hot topwater bite will continue on the Menominee River through July and August.

I still have open July & August dates

BOOK A TRIP to get into this great action!

Menominee smallmouth.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN

MINOCQUA: Kurt Justice from Kurt’s Island Sport Shop emailed:

Summer time weather has arrived and with it, summer time water temps.

With lakes all in the low to even high 70’s for surface temps, patterns are stabilizing for some good summer fishing!

Smallmouth Bass: Very Good – Action best on Ned rigs, jigs and creature and tubes. Deep weed edges of contain in 14’ and shallower rock tops of 14-18’.

Largemouth Bass: Very Good – Wacky worming and using Sweet Beavers in cabbage flats of 8-12’. 3” swim baits and ¼ oz spinner baits also accounting for good action on cloudy/windy days.

Bluegill: Very Good – Anglers able to find thunder bugs and smaller leeches are reporting great catches on inside weed edges. Fly anglers using wet flys and poppers also reporting good action on calm evenings.

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Spinner baits, chatter baits and shallow jerk baits over weed tops of 6-12’.

Musky: Good – Top water action picking up with warming water. Whopper Ploppers, pacemakers bucktails and spinner baits. Don’t be shy to fish shallow, 3-4’ in early am for best top water action.

Walleye: Good-Fair – Action in windward weeds of 7-14’ using crawlers and X-large leeches. On larger lakes, deep rock humps, topping at 18-22’ with big leeches under slip-floats.

Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Best over drowned wood, ½ crawlers, thunderbugs and leeches.

Crappie: Fair – Not a lot of reports of late. Some nice slabs being caught, but not in numbers.

With a near week of warm weather, look for some good, normal patterns to occur, giving anglers a better chance to pin-point their targeted species.

Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
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NORTHWEST INDIANA

Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station said

Perch fishing solid from burns ditch to Michigan city 25 to 40 ft of water the bite is not all day everyday but lots of perch being caught glow beads and minnows best setup move around if ur not getting bit good

Coho bite still good from straight out of burns ditch west towards us steel on state line 65 to 70 ft of water dodger fly best fished mid water Column

Few steelhead and kings mixed in

Peir fishing for steelhead portage riverwalk and Michigan city peir day to day one day good next day slow back and forth some perch at these spots too but it is day to day shrimp crawlers on floats for steelhead and minnows on bottom for perch

Lots of boats out for the first time in awhile with all the nice weather and good fishing

I think more people out is related to the weather being more like summer.

SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN

Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said nice kings were being caught in 185-200 ft on attractors and flies, some on meat rigs; lots of coho and steelhead in the top 50 ft on Dodgers and flies; perch are good in 30 ft. off ``The Chalets’’ south of the pier; some walleye, smallmouth and catfish going in the river.

SHABBONA LAKE

Staff at Lakeside said the hot bite has been hybrid stripers, including one near the lake record; otherwise is it the dam face for bass, walleye and catfish; bass on the weed lines; walleye on the road bed; catfish in the deep trees or road bed on stinkbait, chicken liver or crawlers; and crappie in the cribs.

Fireworks are Thursday evening. The restaurant is open daily. Lakeside is open daily 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Park hours are 6 a.m.-10 p.m.

WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN

FREMONT: Guide Bill Stoeger texted:

Water temp in mid 70s, water levels still about a foot high. Some crappie action in the wood, most gills have spawned and should pick up. Not much for walleye, working hard for a few.