Lots of stuff, as it should in the middle of May, is going for this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report for Chicago fishing.
Yes, the lilacs are blooming big time, especially south. I took the photo above this morning. That’s one of nature’s signals for much of fishing to go. BTW, in another sign for spring fishing, full moon is Saturday.
The condensed Midwest Fishing Report appears Wednesdays on the outdoors page of the Sun-Times newspaper. The sprawling raw-file report is posted here online on the Sun-Times outdoors page.
HENNEPIN-HOPPER OPENER
Fishing reopens Wednesday, May 15, at Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin & Hopper Lakes and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 2. The lakes will be closed Mondays, except for Memorial Day and Labor Day. You must have a permit, obtainable there. Click here for information and details.
MUSKIE TOURNAMENT
The Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies Inc.’s Challunge on the Chain is Saturday. Check with Steve Kroll at stevekrollcpa@sbcglobal.net.
LAKEFRONT SALMON AND TROUT
In one of those great intersections of fishing and life, while I talked with Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters Tuesday afternoon, his first mate was helping customers land a pair of coho near Navy Pier. Poteshman said, “Chicago fishing is spectacular” for coho around Navy Pier, basically from the Planetarium north, where the coho are any given day varies some. The coho are running big, some already to 24 inches. North Point has been slow, other than for some lakers, but that could change any day as fish move north.
Mike Wojtiuk at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor said there are still some coho with the occasional brown being caught.
Lori Ralph at The Salmon Stop in Waukegan texted:
Not much since they closed government pier fkr repair. People need to be informed of south rocks, yacht club wall and Johnson motor pier
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station, Ind. texted:
Kings and coho good still doughnut to pink house 45 to 55ft spoons and spindoctors and flys fished midway down to 5 ft off bottom coho top 15 ft orange dodgers peanut flys and brads thinfish bestGary light and up down wall out of pasteick marina good for coho and few kings same baits there as of out of the ditchWe will be having a huge closeout side walk sale at slez’s bait this week lots of stuff all at blow out prices come take a look
No report yet from Capt. Scott Wolfe of School of Fish Charters.
AREA LAKES
Finally hearing of more bluegills, but there are still crappie and bass going, too. There is a full moon Saturday.
BoRabb Williams posted the photo above and this comment:
Top of the morning y’all….. 14 inch crappie TIME.
Ken “Husker” O’Malley emailed this on bass:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past week’s fishing.Area lakes- despite the cold and wet week we have had, bass are starting to get on their beds. Texas rigged quad craws have been the best bait. Couple of sunny warm days that we have coming up will have the rest getting on beds.TTYL—Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing tea
AREA RIVERS
This is a week where this information is important. Click here to find river closures listed by the Illinois DNR. Go to http://water.weather.gov//ahps2/index.php?wfo=lot to check area water levels and projection. To get to more specific gauges, even on creeks, in Illinois, go to http://waterdata.usgs.gov/il/nwis/current/?type=flow
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Open 6 a.m.-sunset daily.
CALUMET SYSTEM
No update.
CHAIN O’LAKES
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Chain was under no-wake restrictions, while the river to Montgomery dam was closed to boating. Check updates at Fox Waterway Agency or (847) 587-8540.
STRATTON LOCK AND DAM: Lock is open Wednesday through Sunday, 8 a.m.-midnight. Click here for more info on the lock and dam.
Key information for May and June is this:
To facilitate ongoing construction operations at the Stratton-Bolger facility, the lock will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (with the exception of Memorial Day on Monday, May 27) during the months of May and June.
During the months of May and June, IDNR lock tenders will operate the lock on Wednesdays through Sundays from 8:00 a.m. until midnight.
CHICAGO RIVER
No update yet from Capt. Pat Harrison at Pat Harrison Outdoors.
DELAVAN LAKE, WISCONSIN
Dave Duwe emailed this:
Delavan Lake 5/12/19 through 5/19/19
With the cool nights, the water temperature hasn’t come up much. It is very typical for this time of year. The bluegills are shallow and the bass are cruising in 2-3 ft of water.
The best bluegill action is in 2-3 ft of water in the channels. They can be caught on slip bobbers with a small ice jig. The best location is Viewcrest and by the Highlands Channel. I have been catching a few in 6-7 ft of water, the only problem is that they aren’t that big.
Largemouth bass are being caught on Texas rigged or Wacky rigged Senkos in green pumpkin or rootbeer color. The best depth is 3-4 ft of water. The water is very cold so they are still about 2 weeks away from spawning. The best location is by the outlet channel or by the golf course in front of Lake Lawn Lodge.
The best bite on the lake is Northern Pike. All you need is some sort of meat, suckers or golden shiners fished beneath a Thill slip bobber. The best location is in Highlands Bay or by Browns Channel. You want to position the bait 2-3 ft above the weeds. Best action has been in eight to ten feet of water.
Crappie fishing is rather slow. The lake temperature is a bit cold for them and the water clarity is also an issue since the fish are a bit skittish. A few fish have been caught using small plastics in 6-7 ft of water. They are waiting for warmer water to spawn, still a few weeks out.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050
DES PLAINES RIVER
No update.
DOWNSTATE NOTES
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Reopens May 15. Click here for fishing details. POWERTON LAKE: Hours are 6 a.m.-8 p.m. LAKE SHELBYVILLE: Check with Ken Wilson of Ken Wilson Guide Service. REND LAKE: Check with Jason Johns of Boneyard Fishing.
DuPAGE RIVER
No update.
FOX RIVER: WESTERN SUBURBS
As of Tuesday afternoon, the river from the Montgomery dam to the Chain was closed to boating. Check updates at Fox Waterway Agency or (847) 587-8540.
Violet Talley messaged:
The Fox River continues to remain at a very high and dangerous level so the DNR has not lifted boating restrictions from Pistakee Lake all the way down to the Montgomery Dam. There is still minor flooding in some areas and quite a bit of debri floating downriver so please be safe if you decide to venture out in watercraft or waders. Reports of crappie being caught in Carpentersville just behind Otto’s as well as South Elgin at Lion’s Park and Batavia just below the dam…all in slackwater areas and on minnows under a bobber. Pike and Muskie have been hitting topwater lures as well as shiners off the bottom in larger slackwater areas, right at the edges of current. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing has slowed down due to high water levels and a slight drop in water temperature. Water temp is on the rise, but is currently between 59 and 61 in most areas. Bass are holding tight to structure in shallow slackwater areas and can be caught on smaller lures such as ned rigs, small jigs and gulp minnows.
FOX RIVER, WISCONSIN
No update.
GENEVA LAKE, WISCONSIN
Dave Duwe emailed this:
Lake Geneva 5/12/19 through 5/19/19
Because the Spring has been exceptionally cld, the water temperature hasn’t increased yet. Cold water makes Lake Geneva a hard nut to crack in these conditions.
Rock bass are 6-7 ft of water. The best location is Belvidere Park and by Knollwood. The best approach is a split shot rigged fat head minnow slowly drifted or electric trolled. Due to the water temperature and the lack of ice, there’s a lot of heavy green moss so you need to clean your bait frequently. Some of the fish I’ve caught were in excess of 15 inches last week.
Largemouth bass are in 3-4 ft of water in the shallow harbors. They are being caught on All Terrain Stiks or Senkos. Green pumpkin color has been producing the most action. Most of the action has been in the early a.m. before the boat traffic comes into play. The best locations are by Trinkes or Abbey Harbor.
Perch fishing has been one of the best bites on the lake. They are in 3-4 ft of water. The best location is by Black Point or by Knollwood. You must use minnows fished beneath a slip bobber. The bigger the minnow the bigger the perch is a pretty safe bet.
Bluegills and Sunfish are in the shallows in 3-4 ft of water. I’ve caught some of the biggest fish in Abbey Harbor. Some of the Sunfish have been in excess of 10 inches. I’ve been using a nightcrawler on a split shot rig however, if I had leaf worms on a slip bobber I’d be having even more success. This past Sunday, I caught several Pumpkin seeds in the 9-10 inch range.
Smallmouth bass have been very slow. Due to cool water, they are still very sporadic. I spoke with several people that caught them in 25 ft of water right on bottom which is unusual since they are typically in the top 5 ft of water chasing pods of bait fish. I’d recommend white hair jigs fished have way down in the water column. Look for the fish by Knollwood and by Belvidere Park.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050
GREEN BAY/STURGEON BAY
No update yet from Lance LaVine at Howie’s Tackle in Sturgeon Bay.
Click here to see the Wisconsin DNR’s Lake Michigan Fishing Report.
HEIDECKE LAKE
Hours are 6 a.m.-sunset, shore opens at 6:30 a.m.
ILLINOIS RIVER
Flooded. Well, coming off flood at Ottawa. At Starved Rock and LaSalle, it is projected to remain in flood into next week.
INDIANA STREAMS (LAKE MICHIGAN TRIBUTARIES)
Access points for Trail Creek can be found on the Trail Creek Access Map. Access points for Little Cal and Salt Creek, which are closer to Chicago than Trail Creek, may be found at littlecal_saltcreek_access.
KANKAKEE RIVER
No update. River is in passable shape, though high and stained.
KENOSHA, WISCONSIN
Click here to see the Wisconsin DNR’s Lake Michigan Fishing Report. It generally comes out Tuesday.
LAKE ERIE
The Ohio DNR has general Lake Erie info and a fishing report.
LAKEFRONT
See top for lakefront coho and trout report. Some smallmouth are being caught and full moon comes Saturday. REMINDER: Perch fishing on Lake Michigan is closed through June 15.
PARKING PASSES: Passes ($10 for two months) for parking at the two small fishermen’s lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors are available at Henry’s Sports and Bait, Park Bait and Northerly Island (credit card only and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday).
ACCESS/PARKING OPTIONS: Here are some parking and access notes for the Chicago lakefront. Several guys have said the parking app, Spot Hero, has been working well for them while trying to park downtown for fishing; otherwise find street parking or small lots. . . . Montrose Harbor has plenty of free parking within easy walking. . . . At Navy Pier, check in at the parking office in the east lot, then be out by 10 a.m. sharp for the reduced parking rate. . . . For DuSable Harbor, use the small fisherman’s lot, but be aware there is lots of construction going in that area. . . . At Burnham/Northerly Island, use the Burnham fishermen’s lot or meter parking north of the old terminal (on days with no events at Soldier Field or the music pavilion). . . . Only legal fishing at the slip north of 87th is on the east end at Steelworkers Park. Plenty of free street parking. The slip at 89th is private property.
LaSALLE LAKE
Blues and hybrids continue to be the primary focus and catches.
As biologist David Wyffels noted, it is a blue catfish and hybrid striped bass lake now. I would also throw in bluegill, with hopes that largemouth and smallmouth rebound.
Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset.
MADISON CHAIN, WISCONSIN
D & S Bait can be followed on Facebook.
MAZONIA
Both units are open daily 6 a.m.-sunset.
MILWAUKEE HARBOR
Click here to see the Wisconsin DNR’s Lake Michigan Fishing Report. It is generally out Tuesdays.
MENOMINEE RIVER, WIS.
Check with Mike Mladenik on Mike Mladenik Guide Service.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Kurt Justice of Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua, Wis. emailed this:
Spring seems to be taking its own sweet time getting to the Northwoods. Sunday morning’s launch temperature was 26 degrees, water temps hovering in the upper 40’s to low 50’s. On a few lakes, ice was still floating about (Fence) with surface temps only 38 degrees! Luckily, we have a lot of different sized lakes and flowages to choose from up here, so while everything is not where we would like it to be (or someone predicted it would be), there are options.
Walleye: Good – Usually fishing is better this time of year. The post spawn feeding binge is past due on most lakes. Been finding Walleyes holding in 14-20’ over mud, full of Mayfly larvae. Medium leeches under slip floats work well here. Small to mid-sized lakes seeing some weed action on jigs and minnows. The Rip N Rap craze from the Sturgeon Bay area has found its way here with anglers reporting good success on Walleye, up to 29”, working those baits in 10-14’ of water.
Crappies: Good – Look for water in low 50’s or above to find staging Crappies in 5-7’ of water. Mini mites, small minnows and small leeches working. Big slabs to 14” this past week.
Northern Pike: Good – Search out Broad Leaf Cabbage in 5-8’. Jig 3-5” chubs, large fats or shiners. Swim baits and Spinner baits with orange, yellow or green colors working on these fish as they are foraging on same size (and sometimes larger) yellow perch.
Largemouth Bass: Good – Dark bottomed, weedy, warmer bays. Twitch baits and Swim baits the ticket. Bass jigs, lighter the better, with a 3” trailer (twister tail) also good.
Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Some success for anglers using medium fatheads or leeches in weeds of 6-10’.
Bluegill: Fair – Few reports. Warmer days ahead will increase participation.
I’ve been predicting the Walleye bite will be get better, first time in my short memory I can recall being wrong! The Walleyes holding in deeper water tells me shallows need to warm a bit more for the bait fish to move in and Walleyes to follow. Should get that this weekend.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
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—
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station, Ind. texted:
Kings and coho good still doughnut to pink house 45 to 55ft spoons and spindoctors and flys fished midway down to 5 ft off bottom coho top 15 ft orange dodgers peanut flys and brads thinfish bestGary light and up down wall out of pasteick marina good for coho and few kings same baits there as of out of the ditchWe will be having a huge closeout side walk sale at slez’s bait this week lots of stuff all at blow out prices come take a look
ROCK RIVER, ILLINOIS
No update.
ROCK RIVER, WISCONSIN
No update.
ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN
The Wisconsin DNR’s Root River Report is usually out Tuesday or Wednesday. Click here to see it.
ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said kings are very good in 115-120 feet. There’s catfish going in the river.
ST. JOSEPH RIVER, INDIANA
Click here for reports from the Indiana DNR.
SHABBONA LAKE
Clint Sands at Lakeside said crappie are still in prespawn, the water cooled to 52 over the weekend but warmed to 56 by Tuesday, should see them spawning in the next days. Bass are doing well, especially on ChatterBaits. Walleye and muskie are slow. Water is still dirty, but near normal pool.
Hours at Lakeside are now 6 a.m.-7 p.m. daily; restaurant is 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday until Memorial Day weekend.
Park hours through Oct. 31 are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LAKEFRONT
For the Wisconsin DNR’s Lake Michigan Fishing Report, click here to see it. Streams flow info is at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis/current?type=flow.
WINNEBAGO SYSTEM, WISCONSIN
No update.
WISCONSIN DELLS
Check with River’s Edge.
WISCONSIN RIVER
Rob Abouchar emailed the photos above and below and this report:
Hi Dale,
After a busy couple of weeks it was time for a personal day and a trip to the Wisconsin River. After record snow and ice in Merrill over the winter it was finally melted and the fishing is starting to pick up. The high water on the river varies from flowage to flowage depending on the opening or closing of the flood gates. In Merrill the river was unfishable but above the Dam at Alexander Flowage the water was seemingly normal pool level. Bass were hitting suspending Jerkbaits in the mid 40 degree water. The fish are fresh and feisty after the long winter. The Rapala Shadow Rap has become a go to for early season cold water bass. My neighbor in Merrill reports Willow Flowage was good for walleye and northern when weather and water levels allow. As the river levels go down and weather stabilizes fishing for all species should improve. Check with Big Fish Rock And Roll Guide Service for available dates to fish the Wisconsin River.The music never stops with the Hot Sofa Spring Dive Tour next month in Libertyville Illinois at Morgans Bar and Grill June 15th.Rob
Yes, I do have a weakness for fishing musicians or musical fishing.
WOLF LAKE
No update.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
Water temp did go down to low 50’s. White bass were still biting, mostly rigs in deep water. Yesterdays temp 57, and the bass are showing up in shallow water again. This week should be the start of the spawn. There are also some walleye biting. Dragging 1/8 ounce jig with 1/2 a crawler working best.
Like I said, the lilacs are blooming.
