Chicago fishing, Midwest Fishing Report: Coho, browns, steelhead, lakers, smallmouth bass, crappie

Hi Dale, My name is Matt Grohar and I thought it would be cool to submit my son Nikolas nice smallmouth grab on the DuPage yesterday evening. No scale but I’d say 2lbs, measured at 16 inches. He caught it on a Neko Rig, 4inch worm black blue flk. Thanks!

Good morning Dale, I have not heard one word about smelt fishing. . . . Have a great week.

Modesto Perez having good success Forest Preserves lakes

Hey Dale, Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing. Area lakes-the unseasonably cold temps has the typical spring patterns on hold. Bass have not been chasing moving baits. Work a jig along drop offs adjacent to spawning flats. The best trailer has been a 4 inch Berkley chigger craw. Bluegill are starting to move shallow with the recent warmup. The bass are sure to follow. Here is the nature pic of the week. Closing out a nice spring evening. TTYL — Ken Husker O’Malley Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team

Hi Dale The continued cool rainy and snowy weather has had the bite slowed at island lake. The water was high cool and stained depending on the wind direction. floating a golden roach the other day produced a species I had not caught since the days of fishing loch lomond in a canoe. A Bullhead Cat bit in a snowy downpour and the day was done. Yesterday I took a stroll around Woodale Grove Lake and the shallows had no sign of bait fish. The water was high and cold to the touch. A shore angler reported no action. The lid has got to come off soon! This Saturday is the recording session for the all original reggae album. I still find that surprising to say but the work has been done leading to this point and it’s go time. Tight lines and good health! ROB

Hi Dale , I went Down to Braidwood yesterday with my Dad and two other veterans from Riverside Fishing club . it was the High school fishing Tournament , one of the main organizers had sent our club an email stating that they were inviting veterans to join in the Tournament by matching up a veteran to fish with the school teams . It was a great event , i just wanted to share some photos and let you know about the event . They did a great job in honoring the veterans. their hospitality, time , and efforts should be noted and recognized in hopes that this event and others like Can grow and continue into the future .

Hi Dale - managed to sneak out late morning Saturday for a few hours and just didn’t have anything working most of morning. My spots were empty so I moved around without success. I decided to downsize to a small 6 finesse worm and caught a few biggest in pic. Got off the lake early. It was a good weather day at Braidwood just couldn’t put more fish in the boat, I was casting not catching. Should have decided to downsize early on.

Fishing Report – 4/11/2022 Mike Norris Lake Puckaway – Anglers wading the south shore are catching walleyes with jig and minnows or Rapala stick baits where shoreline rocks are present. Walleyes are also showing up in the No Wake area of the Fox River just before it empties into Lake Puckaway. Drag a 1/8 oz. jig with a half crawler while drifting downstream with the current. Beaver Dam Lake - Shore fishing for crappies is good right now with a jig tipped with minnows and suspended beneath a float. Try the neckdown area where the lake crosses beneath County Road D or fishing from shore at Edgewater Park. Wisconsin River (Nekoosa) – Cast jig and twister tail into the shallow current breaks early for walleye. Vertical jig the same rig late morning and afternoon.

Good morning. Here is a quick update on the fishing The Brown Trout action has been pretty good the past week or so. Trolling the shallow waters of the Lake Michigan shoreline looking for warm water pockets, creek mouths and dirty to clean water transitions. As soon as the ice clears on the bayside of the peninsula there should be some very good action there also as the ice fishermen are doing quite well on the shakey ice. Floating rapalas, Husky jerks and Mauler spoons just a few of the top baits right now The Steelhead run has been great up until this point and with more rain predicted it should just continue deep into April and possibly into May. Pretty much every Lake Michigan tributary in the county has fish in them. Drifting spawn sacs definitely the method of choice There have been some Pike and some Walleyes caught drifting in the Sturgeon Bay channel as of late and again, once the ice leaves out on the bay of Green Bay there will be Walleye fishing everywhere vying for a trophy. Medium and Large sucker minnows, hair jigs, blade baits and Rippin Raps the go-to baits there Thanks;, Lance LaVine Howie’s Tackle 1309 Green Bay Rd Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 Ph: 920-746-9916

This spring has been very tough for me in terms of bottom fishing for browns and lakers. Been out at least half a dozen times soaking dead gobies with only one northern to show for my efforts about 3 weeks ago. This morning I hit my usual spot outside Diversey Harbor and my luck changed. Caught a pretty hook jawed male brown and a sleek laker -both about 10.5#’s. Thought I’d share the pics. . . . Both fish released. Thanks, Sey Jay

Montrose harbor using home made lure

Hi Dale, hit the big pond for the first time this year with my co angler Dale Rehus. We manage a dozen decent smallies and had a few unbutton. Wind kicked up in the afternoon and the bite slowed. Nice weather to get out though. Tight lines!

Surprisingly.... many Coho were caught though it was very Windy

Good morning Dale hope all is well with you. Reaching out to let you know what’s going on with Fishing on the North Shore. Starting at Rogers Park up to Winnetka along the lakefront I’ve had great success. The numbers have been low but the fish have been incredible. Monday I called a 8 pound steelhead, nothing but chrome with the most beautiful pink stripe going down it’s side I’ve ever seen. Yesterday evening around 5pm near Evanston I caught a 5 pound Brooktrout. So the fish have been few however they definitely make up in size. Spotty Coho and browns here and there. The Browns are in the 3 to 5 lbs range.Once again love your column and thanks for all you do for us. Phil

Today at Montrose caught on spoon!

Good morning Dale, I have not heard one word about smelt fishing. Coho still biting good. Large minnows, nightcrawlers and shrimp. Should start to hit crankbaits and spoons here pretty soon. A few nice Browns and Steelhead. Have a great week.

Still lots of ice to contend with so far. Mix of rain, sun and some warmth, countered with some cold nights didn’t allow for a great loss of ice, but it’s diminishing! Bluegill: Good – Weed Gills biting well in 4-8’ of cabbage. Waxies or plastics in red, purple, black and motor oil worked sometimes only a foot or two below the ice best. High fish a sign of low oxygen causing fish to rise higher in water column where parts per million higher making life more active. Anglers plying 14-18’ depths seeking Perch and Crappies finding suspended Gills (mostly 8+) 6-10’ off bottom. On the windy days a #3 or #4 tungsten needed to buck breeze to keep lines taught, bait down. Yellow Perch: Good – Best over mud flats 14-18’ using heavy spoons/jigs (Clam Bombs, Pinheads, Venom Inferno Spoons, Tungsten Kastmasters) baited with red spikes or wigglers. Nice average eaters of 9-10 ½ but enough plus 11’s to make things interesting. Perch filling up for spawn, good bite as they slowly migrate into shallower water for ice out. Crappie: Good – While some good weed action in 7-10’ slow dropping rockers tipped with white, yellow or pink plastics or waxies, best fish deeper. Working mud flats and above sandgrass in 14-18’, use tip-downs to hold minnows 2-6’ off bottom. Action not as fast as previous week, but large Crappies to 14 being caught. Jigging flashy spoons (Pimples, Vinglas) tipped with waxies also productive. Questions most asked… How much ice? On average 24-28. Top layer (6-8) punky, rest very solid. Vehicle travel? ATV and UTV, snowmobile, yes, but be cautious. Top layer can get messy. Access? Mostly good, but check. Some lakes with steep, black topped launches have lots of water/slush, as much as 14-16 on top of ice, tough to maneuver. Ice fishing this Easter weekend? Yes, but could be last on many lakes as forecasted rain could eat up shoreline access. Will the lakes be ice free by opener, May 7th? I sure hope so! Lots of ice to lose (24-28) in next 26 days. Forecasted highs in 50’s, yet low in upper teen to low 20’s going to be a see-saw battle to losing ice. As written earlier, sun, temps, wind and rain, as well as affects of ground warm up, should eat ice from both top and bottom. Cold nights will halt some melt, but overall safe fishing ice will probably last only two more weeks on some of the last accessible, north facing landings, around. Kurt Justice Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook

Coho action for boat fisherman good from east Chicago all the way to Michigan city. 20 to 40ft of water. Brads thinfish, j9 rapalas and dodger and flys best. Crappie action on area lakes using minnows and Rufus jr jigs tipped with beemoth. Few stocked pond trout being caught at lake county fairgrounds. Power bait, beemoth, and lil redworms bait to use.

Hi, Dale. The weather is absolutely beautiful today, & here’s what we’ve heard lately! Fishing on Lake Michigan is really firing up with limits of Coho & now some Kings showing up as well. The best action is coming on ThinFish & j-9 Rapalas. Some Steelhead in the rivers, but that’s coming to a end fast. Crappie fishing on some inland lakes is good with a few bluegill mixed in. The Catfish bite is revving up on all the local lakes & rivers. They are HUNGRY after that long winter.

Fishing Report – 4/11/2022 Mike Norris . . . Wisconsin River (Nekoosa) – Cast jig and twister tail into the shallow current breaks early for walleye. Vertical jig the same rig late morning and afternoon.

Dale.... they started hitting after this post on FB... crappie gills and walleye too... 15 crappie ... 3 walleye and 3 white bass 48 degree Water

I’m very lucky , we’re I keep my boat. Jam packed with perch. Spawning season. Sorting for bigger fish. Should last another week, warmer weather next week , they will be spawned out in no time. Then there gone . Hopefully more crappie in May Lots of small females. Probably spawn in next week

Water temp 45.6 this morning. We’re still catching prespawn fish, although Monday 2 spawned out females came in. Shallow water with jigs working best