Midwest Fishing Report: Lakes and rivers around Chicago fishing

Snagging for chinook and coho salmon only is permitted from the following Lake Michigan shoreline areas from October 1 through December 31; however, no snagging is allowed at any time within 200 feet of a moored watercraft or as posted: — Lincoln Park Lagoon from the Fullerton Avenue Bridge to the southern end of the Lagoon, — Waukegan Harbor (in North Harbor basin only), — Winnetka Power Plant discharge area, — Jackson Harbor (Inner and Outer Harbors)

Hey Dale, Area lakes are producing good numbers of bluegills. Ice jigs tipped with wax worms under a slip float have produced on sunny days midday along the inside weed lines. Good time to take the kids with since its the warmest part of the day. They don’t want to stay out long though, trust me. Bass have been very slow. X-raps fished as slow as possible have caught a few on the wind blow sides along the outer weed line. Have to really work for them if not using live bait. TTYL Husker Outdoors Water Werks Fishing Team

Quick Report: Pike still feeding pretty heavily as seen in the attached photo. That particular pike already had a good sized shad in the hopper. Minnow style jerk baits worked best. Marcus Benesch River Grove, Illinois

– ANDERSON LAKE is CLOSED TO BOAT FISHING for the season– BANNER MARSH IS CLOSED TO BOAT FISHING AND AS OF OCT. 31st, BANK FISHING ONLY ALLOWED AFTER 1PM but NO FISHING ALLOWED in EAST POINT ACCESS AREA , which is CLOSED TO ALL FISHING to provide a GOOSE REFUGE AREA during season till Feb. 1st– DOUBLE T STATE FISH and WILDLIFE AREA IS CLOSED TO FISHING for the season and remains Closed till APRIL 1st, 2014– EMIQUON PRESERVE during waterfowl hunting season fishing is allowed only between Noon and sunset.– EVERGREEN LAKE – A SOUTHERN PART OF Lake AROUND DEER ISLAND and ALL OF SIX-MILE CREEK BAY IS CLOSED TO GAS MOTORS from Oct. 15th through JAN. 1st to allow for resting areas for migratory waterfowl. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO STILL RUN A TROLLING MOTOR IN THESE AREAS ONLY. – Also, the ENTIRE lake and park, with the exception of the campground, is CLOSED to general use Nov. 22-24 and Dec. 5-8 for the Deer Management Program.– RICE LAKE is CLOSED to boat fishing till end of Duck & Goose season– SNAKEDEN HOLLOW including McMASTER LAKE IS CLOSED TO FISHING for the Season till Feb. 1st– SPRING LAKE (South & North) IS CLOSED TO BOAT FISHING in Waterfowl Hunting Area with BANK FISHING ALLOWED ONLY AFTER 1pm– And Closed to shore fishing in hunting areas on Oct. 26th.. AREAS THAT REMAIN OPEN TO BOATS ARE NORTH OF MAPLE ISLAND with ramp at north end at the Sky Ranch Road launch and IN PIKE HOLE with carry in boats -On December 25th boat fishing and shore fishing in the waterfowl hunting area will be allowed after 1:00 p.m. through the end of Canada Goose season.– CLINTON LAKE the easterly area of Clinton Lake between the DeWitt (CH14) and the 48 bridges is CLOSED FROM OCT. 10th through MARCH 31st to protect fish and wildlife. It will Re-OPEN April 1st..– POWERTON LAKE IS CLOSED TO BOAT FISHING and CLOSES TO SHORE FISHING and ALL FISHING ON OCT. 26th (Last day for Shore fishing is Oct. 25th) and REOPENS TO SHORE FISHING ONLY ON DEC. 23rd AND NO BOAT FISHING till FEB. 15th– SANGCHRIS LAKE THE WEST and EAST ARMS OF LAKE and Small AREA NEAR DAM Are CLOSED DURING WATERFOWL SEASONto boat traffic through Jan. 31, 2014 (during this time fishing boat traffic is permitted in the center hot arm only).And the Entire lake will be CLOSED Nov. 22-24 and Dec. 5-8th due to firearm deer hunting on adjacent properties.The exception will be for hunting programs with restricted usage during this time period.For more info, contact site office at 217/498-9208 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Not sure if you can use this because the information is very limited, but feel free if it helps you with the river report: the last two Saturdays I hit some treatment plant discharges on the Fox before settling in to watch the Blackhawks’ games. Smallmouth were active, hitting any color of streamer I threw, but most were small. I also got a surprise largemouth and a pretty nice white bass. Very few other people out.

If you can use something, I decided to get out and actually wrote something down about it. Unlike last week. http://waterdogjournal.com/2013/10/27/last-fishing-trip-year/ . . . It is chock full of info for those that know how to read between the lines. The river is low and clear. The water is cold. On a sunny day, get out the first few or last few hours of the day. The sun shuts down the fishing. Don’t fish the sunny side. I just didn’t feel like spelling it all out.

Another weekend of wind, cold, rain, sleet and snow. Big fall bites have just not developed well. Blame could be on conditions being rough for boat control, but, even then fish should be being caught. Musky: Fair. Not much for reports over the weekend. Pressure put on smaller lakes as large lakes extremely tough to fish Friday and Saturday with high winds. Suckers on quick-set rigs best. Suicks, Smity’s, Bobbie jerk baits moved most fish. Casting rubber baits out over open water also producing. Walleye: Fair. Deep water bite best. Chubs (if available) and suckers fished along transition breaks in 40-45’ producing larger fish (20-28). Use 3/8 oz to ½ oz jigs or Lindy rigs. Look for Flowage walleyes to be stacking in deepest holes taking large fatheads on 1/8 to 1/4oz jigs. Pike: Fair-Good. Few are targeting this species, yet nice pike in the low to mid 30 range taking baits (from suckers to suicks) meant for musky. Smallmouth: Fair. Deep water, big fish on chubs/suckers or Lindy rigs. No reports for other species. The wind had a big effect on angler participation. Surface temps this weekend ranged from 48 degrees (Trout, Fence), 46 degrees (Squirrel, Big Arbor Vitae) to as low as 40-41 degrees on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage. New moon period for coming weekend should help.

(Head): Walleye, northern and panfish putting on a good to excellent bite, with musky action good. Grouse hunting good. Increasing numbers of diving ducks seen on the bigger lakes; and bow deer hunters seeing more evidence of the rut coming on, with more deer seen during the day, and rubs and scrapes proliferating. All in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area. Water temps in the Eagle River area are in the upper 40s and dropping steadily. Walleye in the Eagle River area are in the deeper holes in 15-35 feet of water, and holding tight to bottom. Use a jig and a minnow. All day bite. Action is good to excellent. Northern in the Eagle River area are in 10 feet of water or less in and around weeds. Use a Husky Jerk or other minnow baits, or northern suckers under a slip bobber. All day action. Bite is good to excellent. Panfish (crappies, bluegills and perch) in the Eagle River area are in 15 feet of water or less outside of weed edges or in and around weeds. Use a Mini Mite, or a chunk of crawler or crappies minnow under a slip bobber or on a jig. Perch are tight to bottom. The crappies and gills are suspending up and down the water column (day dependent – -start at the bottom and work your way up until you reach the depth the fish are at on that particular day). All day action. Bite is good to excellent. Musky in the Eagle River area are in 15 feet of water or less off of weed edges or adjacent hard bottom areas. Use a Suick, jerkbaits, glidebait, crankbait, or a live sucker (13-17 inches). Always do a figure 8 as your lure nears the boat. All day bite. Action is good.

Heard a few whitefish and Lake Trout were caught off the piers yesterday. Action should be increasingly better for the next few weeks. Steelhead action has been slow on the piers. Steelhead action has been decent on the river over the weekend. Also was few Lake Trout caught in the rivers. Spawn and swung flies taking majority of these fish. Walleye fishing has been slow on the rivers. Water levels on the river are still low, go slow and use caution if you are not familiar with the river you are on.