Midwest Fishing Report: When and where to drop a line

LAKEFRONT PERCH: Steve Palmisano, Henry’s: ‘‘Up and down,’’ better numbers but smaller ones in river; harbors spotty. Arden Katz: One day caught perch on first 13 casts, then none at slip north of 87th; one morning good at Navy Pier, others slow. Larry Green: Some quality (10-12 inches) Sunday at a North Side harbor. Mik-Lurch: Plan to test Gary Light this week by boat; good numbers in the river.

PIER PASSES: Henry’s has the $6 passes for legal access to select Chicago harbors.

AREA RIVERS: FOX: Johnny “Sunshine’’ Pajak: Still walleye in deeper holes when guides don’t freeze up.

ILLINOIS: Time on the Water Outdoors: Sauger being caught in deeper holes; focus upstream from Spring Valley.

KANKAKEE: Norm Minas: Water levels and temperatures dropping; walleye at inflows and point pools on minnow baits and darter-head jigs with paddle tail flukes.

AREA LAKES: Some lakes and ponds have fishable ice; others are open water.

CHAIN O’LAKES AREA: Hermann’s: Two fishermen on 2 inches of ice at Nielsen’s Tuesday. Arden Katz: Move around at Nielsen’s, fish whole water column. Greg Dickson, Triangle: It’s backwaters ice fishing (T Channel, Nielsen’s, etc.); ice should hold and build.

DELAVAN/GENEVA LAKES, WIS.: Variable ice. Brian Gates, Geneva Lake Bait & Tackle: Small pike at Delavan boat launch; some legal pike off south side of Como, which should be walkable; small bluegill on west side of Lorraine.

GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WIS.: Lance LaVine, Howie’s Tackle: Ice forming on inner bays: Little Sturgeon, Sawyer Harbor, inside cup in Dykesville. Expect more to ice fish by weekend.

MADISON LAKES, WIS.: Gene Dellinger, D&S Bait: On the ice, primarily for bluegill, at Cherokee Marsh, Monona Bay, parts of Squaw Bay, Mud Lake and parts of Waubesa.

N. WIS.: EAGLE RIVER: Chamber of Commerce: Ice fishing underway in shoreline areas and bays by foot travel. MINOCQUA: Kurt Justice, Island Sportshop: Ice conditions improving (7-8 inches in most areas, some thicker) with crappie (tip-downs with small minnows or No. 8 rockers with sliver of Chena or plastic), bluegill (with crappie but shallower in 5-8) and largemouth (weedy bays) are very good; walleye and pike are good.

NW IND.: A few whitefish at Michigan City. When weather allows, lakers on rocks and reefs. Mik-Lurch: Better steelhead in Trail, but some coming in Salt, too.

ST. JOSEPH AREA, MICH.: Phil Schuman, Tackle Haven: A few whitefish and steelhead off piers; steelhead being caught in the river.

SHABBONA LAKE: Lake is half open.

BUCK OF THE WEEK:

Mike Fleming (left), of Hawthorn Woods, arrowed a beautiful 13-pointer on Nov. 11 in the Galena area. Then his brother Rob, of Ingleside, did the same on a monster eight-pointer the next day.

‘‘The freezing mornings [in early November] didn’t deter these guys,’’ proud mom Norma Fleming emailed.

Their dad, Bob, is waiting on his mountable buck, she added.

Submit nominations on Facebook (Dale Bowman), on Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or by email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).