Variety of May & April: Chicago fishing

We settle into the late April/early May patterns that offer all kinds of variety, and I mean all kinds of variety (white bass all over on rivers, largemouth pulling up), around Chicago fishing and outline as much as possible in this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

The MFR appears in a condensed form Wednesdays on the Sun-Times newspaper outdoors page. The sprawling raw-file report is posted here online on the Sun-Times outdoors page.

In the photo above, Larry Green shows just what variety is offered by the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

PERCH NOTE

Remember that Saturday is the last day to fish for perch in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan. Perch fishing in Illinois is closed from May 1-June 15.

SMELT NOTE

Netting for smelt ends Saturday on the Chicago lakefront. Regulations are the same for the Chicago Parks. Nets may go in at 7 p.m. Netters must be out of the parks by 1 a.m. Prospects are as poor as recent years.

AREA LAKES

Biggest news is the bass are moving up or have alreasy; and crappie fishing continues good, Steve Palmisano at Henry’s Sports and Bait said that Saganashkee Slough remains one of the better forest preserve lakes for crappie.

Ken “Husker” O’Malley sent this:

Hey Dale, Bass on area lakes are very good. With the warm up that we have had over the last week, bass are starting to come into the shallows. Morning hours on sunny days have yielded good numbers. Working a 4 inch basspro stick-o rigged with an o ring on a 1/0 octopus hook.TTYL — Ken Husker O’Malley Huskeroutdoors Waterworks fishing team

AREA WATER LEVELS

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

Site fishing hours are 6 a.m.-sunset daily. NOTE: Exelon’s Fishing for a Cure is May 7. Click here for info and to register.

CHAIN O’LAKES AREA

Watch water levels, they had been running low (but that will likely be changing. Staff at Triangle Sports & Marine said crappie and bluegill are in the channels and are the top bite; over the warm weekend, bass pulled up shallow.

Check updates at Fox Waterway Agency or by calling (847) 587-8540.

CHICAGO RIVER

No update.

DELAVAN/LAKE GENEVA AREA, WISCONSIN

Brian Gatesat Geneva Lake Bait & Tackle said that on Delavan, it is more bluegill than crappie, a few perch; boaters in Lake Lawn are doing OK on and off; on Geneva, rock bass picked up and there’s spotty crappie, there was access to Abbey for boats over weekend.

DES PLAINES RIVER

No update.

DOWNSTATE NOTES

HENNEPIN-HOPPER: The Wetlands Initiative will have the fishing season at the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge (Hennepin-Hopper) from May 15 to Labor Day. Regulations will be the same as last year, with an emphasis on reminding fishermen there may be no large motors on boats. LAKE OF EGYPT/REND: Check with Jason Johns of Boneyard Fishing. POWERTON: Boat and shore fishing is open, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. EMIQUON: Because of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s shutdown, fishing and boating permits will be done at the launch. Call (309) 547-2730. SHELBYVILLE: Check with Ken Wilson of Ken Wilson Guide Service.

EVERGREEN:Mike Steffa sent this update on bait shop and boat rental:

EVERGREEN LAKE BAIT SHOP & BOAT RENTAL OPENS SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2016 BAIT SHOP HOURS: MONDAY-THURSDAY FROM 8-4 AND FRIDAY-SUNDAY FROM 6-4 BOAT RENTAL HOURS: FRIDAY-SUNDAY FROM 6-4 EXPANDED HOURS BEGINNING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND! QUESTIONS? CALL THE COMLARA PARK VISITOR CENTER AT (309) 434-6770.

DuPAGE RIVER

No update.

FOX RIVER

No update.

GREEN BAY/STURGEON BAY

No update this week from Lance LaVine at Howie’s Tackle in Sturgeon Bay.

The Wisconsin DNR Lake Michigan Report, typically updated on Tuesdays, includes reports from both the bay and lake sides.

HEIDECKE LAKE

Jim Lukancic posted Sunday:

Great day fishing at the H.No big ones though.Took home 5 walleye and a crappie to clean.Walleye 1-16 4-17in.Released some crappie also.

Chris Strand posted some photos and a good question:

11 striped bass 22-26 inches at heidecke lake. What an amazing day it was, Dale Bowman fish of the week?

Not this week, but it would have been a worthy nomination. BTW, he only kept his legal limit.

Lake hours are 6 a.m.-sunset daily.

ILLINOIS RIVER

Thom Matejewski at Illinois Valley Outdoors said that before the rains fishing was “great” with trollers taking great numbers of sauger and walleye in 10-16 feet, bigger walleye being caught shallow by white-bass fishermen; white bass are best on spinners around bridge pilings or the Peru rip-rap; and crappie are going on minnows by wooden barge pilings.

Illinois Valley Outdoors–(815) 663-1000–is open in Spring Valley.

INDIANA STREAMS

Access points for Trail Creek can be found on the Trail Creek Access Map.

KANKAKEE RIVER

River levels are fine, lilacs are blooming and smallmouth are doing what they should be doing. As Larry Green tweeted Monday with a good photo of a big smallmouth:

Good day on the Kankakee with Rapala XRaps

Norm Minas sent this:

I am a real lucky guy, here it is my 31st wedding anniversary and I not only went fishing but am writing a report. I am married to a very understanding , loving and wonderful woman . The river has been dropping for the most part, it’s still not exactly safe for any but limited wading due to the force of the flow . Water is clearing , over a foot of visibility . Water temps fluctuating depending on over night temps and the amount of cloud cover during the day . With some of the natural signs I look for to indicate prespawn are present . I’m using techniques and avoiding known spawning areas as much as possible to try to avoid the early spawners . That plan went into effect when the natural signs started and I started catching smallmouth with worn tails fishing low and slow . I have been using aggressive techniques, rattlebaits, swimbaits, swimjigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and crankbaits . Crankbaits and buzzbaits at the heads and tails of riffle areas have been a winning ticket . Rattlebaits on seams, at creekmouths and over waterwillow stubble have been the best producer over all. Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits over waterwillow stubble have had their moments . Swimbaits and swim jigs on seams have brought fewer but higher quality fish . Mostly smallmouth feeding heavily, walleyes picking up their feeding and the number of channel cats taking lures is risingpeacenorm

NOTE: The Route 102 bridge over Rock Creek is undergoing work, which means access to the state park and Warner Bridge will require some driving around.

LAKE ERIE

The Ohio DNR has general Lake Erie info and a fishing report.

LAKEFRONT

See perch note at top. Wind and waves will limit lake action.

CHICAGO: Steve Palmisano at Henry’s Sports and Bait said that the best bite going on shore is the one building for smallmouth bass in the harbors. Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters lakers are “spectacular,’’ inside “The Wreck’’ and south, as deep as 70 ft.

WAUKEGAN: No report from Lori Ralph at the Salmon Stop. I will check with her next week.

NORTH POINT: Poteshman said coho, with a a few lakers and steelhead, are being caught from the hill out to 300 ft., best on downriggers and deep Dipsy Divers.

LAKE KOSHKONONG, WISCONSIN

No update.

LaSALLE LAKE

The cooling lake south of Seneca is open daily, 6 a.m.-sunset.

MADISON CHAIN, WISCONSIN

Go to Facebook for the latest updates from Gene Dellinger at D & S Bait.

MAZONIA

Open daily, 6 a.m.-sunset. The hot bite there builds for both largemouth and panfish.

MENOMINEE RIVER, WISCONSIN

Mike Mladeikat Mike Mladenik Guide Service emailed this:

Smallmouth are staging big time and by the time the Catch and Release season opens May 7 look for a awesome bite! Water levels are perfect and the water temp is gradually rising, you can’t ask for better conditions. I still have openings Book now for prime May dates

MILWAUKEE HARBOR

Check the Wisconsin DNR Lake Michigan Report, which generally comes out Tuesdays for updates.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN

Waiting on the gamefish opener on May 7.

MINOCQUA:Kurt Justice of Kurt’s Island Sport Shop sent this:

Unfortunately we didn’t get another beautiful weekend like the previous one. The temperature was cooler, and it was rainy so there was very little fishing activity. Surface temps reported anywhere from the upper 30’s (big lakes) to upper 40’s. That is down from a few that reached the low 50’s during that warm weekend. As the week progresses it looks like we will slowly creep out of this cooler weather into some 50’s and 60’s. As the weather prevented many anglers from getting on the water, fishing reports are few and far between. Hopefully the cold weather will be gone by the opener (May 7). Do yourself and your favorite license vendors a favor and purchase your license BEFORE May 6. Go Wild! Kurt Justice Kurt’s Island Sport Shop http://www.kurtsislandsports.com

EAGLE RIVER: B+L, from interviews with guides George Langley, Muskie Matt and Colin Crawford, sent this as part of an update for the Eagle River Chamber of Commerce:

Less than two weeks away, the gamefish opener is closing in. Most lakes are recording temperatures near 50 degrees, which is warm enough for perch to begin spawning. Action on perch has been good, according to several reports. Fishing Report Perch: Good action reported, even in water as shallow as 2 feet. Best bait has been minnows, with fatheads seeming to size select to the larger fish. Very light tackle is recommended in shallow water – 4-lb. line and small bobbers. Crappies: Staging on most lakes and heading into the weeds to spawn. They will be hitting minnows or small plastics when they start to move back in.

NORTHWEST INDIANA

Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station said that lakers, “all you want,’’ are going around “The Gong,’’ and in 70-100 feet; coho are 160 feet or deeper; perch bite slowed with winds; crappie going everywhere; at Willow Slough, boaters who do best for panfish keep moving.

ROCK RIVER, WISCONSIN

Brian Gatesat Geneva Lake Bait & Tackle said that some catfish are being caught from shore already and there’s some sauger around Blackhawk Island.

ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN

The Wisconsin DNR Lake Michigan Report is generally posted on Tuesday and includes a Root river section.

ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN

Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said the best fishing is out deep for coho and some browns and lakers; river and piers are slow.

ST. JOSEPH RIVER, INDIANA

Click herefor reports from the Indiana DNR.

SHABBONA LAKE

Staff at Lakeside said crappie started to move toward no-motor zone, another week and all will be shallow; muskie are going (a 47-incher was caught last week); and largemouth improve as water warms to low 60s.

The restaurant is open weekends. Lakeside is now open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information and reports from Lakeside, go to shabbonalake.com or call (815) 824-2581.

SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN

The Wisconsin DNR posts a report at http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/lakemichigan/OutdoorReport.html. It is usually posted by Tuesday afternoon. Stream flow info is at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis/current?type=flow.

WISCONSIN DELLS

Jason Foxemailed,“It has begun,’’ with good white bass being caught below the Dells dam with 58-degree water.

WOLF LAKE

No update.

WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN

FREMONT: Guide Bill Stoeger called to say walleye are still going very good, limits within hours, on half a crawler dragged on the bottom; and white bass have taken off, best on minnows on current breaks or holes.

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