Chicago fishing: Ice fishing is areawide — for now

Monday – North Park Village Nature Center 5801 N Pulaski Rd. Building D 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Thursday – Lincoln Park Cultural Center 2045 North Lincoln Park West 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Friday – Big Marsh Park 11559 S. Stoney Island 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Hi Dale, No fishing or hunting for me, but we did go for a hike in a Kane County Forest Preserve over the weekend. The lake there is about the biggest body of water I fish in the area-last to freeze and last to warm up in the Spring-so I wanted to see how the ice was. As you can see in the first image, there were some ice anglers out and the ice was safe (safe being a relative term when it comes to ice). If this place had good ice on it, so will the smaller ponds in the area. But that comes with a caveat, as demonstrated by the second image: waterfowl can keep water open, even in sub-zero temps.

Your column on Saturday about Don Dubin? I sort of knew him. Our memberships in the Illinois Steelheaders overlapped for a time. He was a very active member, going to all the meetings and participating in club outings and fishing trips. His carving was amazing.

Unfortunately, no photo as I was driving and the sighting was completely unexpected so no camera at the ready. But as I was leaving work last Wednesday around 3:30-still broad daylight-a red fox crossed the entrance/exit road right near a guard booth. It knew enough to avoid cars but didn’t seem too upset about people seeing it. I’d say the Winter hasn’t been too tough on it: it looked well-fed and the coat was prime after a week of serious cold.

Pete

We are hearing 8-12 inches of ice on most northern Illinois lakes, as always be safe and go where you see others fishing. Pike and bass are being caught on medium and large golden roach minnows. White bass, crappies are hitting small and large fathead minnows. Spikes and wax worms are always a good bet for gills and perch. If there is no snow on the ice, creepers are a must.

Hey Dale,

Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.

Ice conditions on most lakes are 7-8 inches as of Monday. Based on this weeks forecast the hope is we will still have safe ice this coming weekend

Bluegill have been very good on WYW custom jigs paired with an IJO Plastics spider monkey. Fish have been roaming the main basin of lakes with the extreme cold over the past week.

Bass have been good jigging outside weedlines with a Clam pinhead mino during the morning hours. Move off into the main basin during afternoon hours.

Here is the nature pic of the week [below]. Fresh snowfall yields nighttime activity.

TTYL

Ken Husker O’Malley

Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team

Hi Dale

The ice has thickened enough for snowmobiles and 4 wheelers to drive around. I fished tip ups on Saturday and Sunday for a few hours while viewing some playoff football. I had only one flag go up but just a slightly bruised minnow was left. There were only a few anglers out in the cold temps over the weekend but many anglers were out yesterday after panfish. This weekend I’ll try the other side of the lake for some panfish action

On the music front I’ll be playing with midnite mile at the main street outfitters in waucanda. This week I spoke with Cleve the bass player of hurricane reggae band and i will be joining them for the Bob Marley bash at two brothers roundhouse in Aurora on February 17th. Time is flying by and soon we can say Braidwood opens in a few weeks

I haven’t heard any good reports from bass anglers this year, but the folks chasing crappie and catfish have done well. Finding the old ditches that are now underwater and fishing the bottoms for catfish or the vertical sides for crappie seems to be the strategy.

SPRING LAKE: Through the end of Canada goose season, both boat launching and bank fishing is allowed after 1 p.m. The Sky Ranch Road ramp is open with boating allowed north of Sky Ranch Rd bridge and south down to the buoy markers and sign at Maple Island.

Fishing Report – 1/22/2024

Mike Norris

Big Green Lake: At a minimum, anglers now have ice thick enough to run ATVs in the shallower bays on Big Green Lake. Due to the unbearable cold and wind, only a few anglers were fishing in the Cove or the T-Channel area last week. Nonetheless, the fishing reports could have been better for those who did venture out. Most anglers reported catching nothing but small perch. It is usually two weeks or more before the bluegills move into these areas. Ice thickness in Beyer’s Cove is 6–10 inches and building. More anglers will be drilling holes this week with moderating weather moving in.

Beaver Dam Lake: Ice anglers are doing well on crappies with a minnow and split shot near Round Island off Waterworks Park and at the railroad trestle access off Lake Drive at the north end of Beaver Dam Lake. Walleyes are biting medium shiners suspended below tip-ups. Beaver Dam Lake is known for its springs, where ice can be as thin as two inches or less, so if fishing there, I advise following well-traveled roads out on the ice.

With the number of sub-zero nights we had last week, several in negative teens, we disappointedly did not get all the ice I thought for sure we would have by now. Seems what snow we did get from the previous storm (3-4) was enough to insulate the lakes and slow ice production.

I conservatively predicted 10-12 by last Fri/Sat. Unfortunately, most reports were of 7-10 (I found 9 on two separate lakes) with a few well-trodden lakes supporting up to 12-12 ½. There were even reports of open water last week on Trout, Tomahawk, Fence, Big Crawling Stone and an open rift from Rock Island to North Bay on the Willow Flowage. Some of these areas froze over during last Thursday’s cold, windless morning (1/18), but should still be traveled with extreme caution.

Northern Pike: Poor-Good – A few nice fish reported over the weekend following days of very few anglers out due to cold. Tip-ups with large shiners or suckers, no real secrets here, work weed beds of 6-12’ with green weeds.

Crappie: Fair-Good – Very small windows of activity. Best over basins of 22-30’ of water. Small Kastmasters, Pinhead jigs, Tikka Flash and T-Rips tipped with waxies. Fish spotted suspended 4-8’ off bottom, selective bite. If not interested in above spoons, drop small (#3) tungsten jigs w/hair and single spike to coax bites. With warm up on the way, tip-downs with small minnows should do better.

Bluegill: Poor-Fair – Lots of lookers. Barometer must have fish spooky as lots of reports of fish on the screen, but not biting. Tiny jigs (#2.5 Fiskas, #12 Rockers) in dull finishes tipped with single red or colored spike teased some bites. As the week moves on and temps warm, expect better action in weeds of 6-10’ but also look for suspended Gill over sandgrass or mud in 18-26’.

Yellow Perch: Poor-Fair – Like Gills, two places to find. Weed fish in 6-10’ taking Northland Forage Minnows and Z-Vibes loaded with waxies. Also, the mud flat bite is slowly, but surely, picking up as a few anglers are reporting some action over mud basins of 20-30’ using Halis tipped with wigglers or red spikes. Bang the mud to create a disturbance and watch closely on your flasher for Perch to move in.

Largemouth Bass: Poor-Fair – A few reports over the weekend as temps got into mid-teens. Watch as this species will get active as weather warms. Medium shiners on tip-ups, Jiggin Raps and Rippin Raps in the cabbage of 6-10’.

Walleye: Poor-Fair – Bite fell off during week, started to slowly pick up by weekend. Most bites at dusk over sandgrass or along deep weed edges as Walleyes move up for the night. Walleye suckers, medium river shiners on tip-ups. A few reports of Walleye taking #3 Jiggin Raps fished over sandgrass of 16-18’ on 1/21, two hours before dusk.

Super cold, super high pressure, super low pressure and the dreaded east-southeast wind all seemed to put a damper on this past week’s bite. Things looking up as the forecast shows milder temps and more westerly winds. No major cold to help with what has to be the least amount of ice we’ve seen in the Northwoods this late in the season.

As stated, expect to find 7-10 averages (some as little as 4 others to 12) with 1-2 of slush between the ice and 3 of snow. Snowmobiles and ATV use has been fine so far, some UTV where ice 8+, but definitely no trucks, don’t risk your life or anyone else’s! Wise to keep a float suit or life preserver on if venturing out to unknown or big water.

Upcoming Tournaments

Feb 10th – 22nd Annual Plum Lake Ice Fishing Tournament – Plum Lake

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sports Shop – Like us on Facebook

Ice ice ice is all it’s been since last weeks report.

Groups on the ice all over the place ice got up to 7.5 inches in some places here in nwi.

Loomis and long lake in Valparaiso was hit hard and gave up some gills and crappie few bass on tip- ups too

With the rain and warmer temps there will be slush on top of the ice be careful as some places the ice will deteriorate faster than other areas.

Up in Port Washington in Northern Wisconsin, caught on a shad style jerkbait, only 1 caught but its been a struggle finding fish especially with the change of weather

Fishing Report – 1/22/2024

Mike Norris

Lake Winnebago: Wisconsin’s largest inland lake is my area’s hotspot for ice fishing right now, with anglers targeting perch with jigs tipped with spikes just outside weed edges in Asylum Bay. Many anglers are reporting bonus catches of burbot