Chicago fishing: Dealing with some up-and-down weather

Dodong Takata holds his big brown, 11 pounds, in the Hole-Hoppers tournament Sunday.

The yoyoing weather, lakefront coho and the LaSalle Lake opener lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

Dodong Takata caught the big brown trout of 11 pounds (top photo) of the private Facebook group Hole-Hoppers tournament on Sunday.

LaSALLE OPENER

LaSalle Lake, the cooling lake south of Seneca, reopened to fishing on Friday, March 15.

Jim Duplex’s YouTube video gives an idea what the best of LaSalle was on opening day with a mess of hybrid striped bass. I bumped into them as I was leaving and they were arriving opening morning on Friday. Apparently, I should have stuck around and rode with them.

From about 6:30 to 11 a.m., I walked and shore fished the south bank and a bit of the east bank; caught lots of channel catfish in 10- to 13-inch range. At least two decent blues were caught from shore while I was there, as well as five good hybrid striped bass and one freshwater drum (pictured below) by an unknown angler.

An angler wrangled in a nice freshwater drum on opening morning Friday at the LaSalle Lake, the cooling lake south of Seneca, while shore fishing on the south bank.

LaSalle is open daily 6 a.m.-sunset. Boating is often restricted by winds, which it was greatly in the opening days. Check daily updates on boating at (815) 640-8099.

ILLINOIS CATCH-AND-RELEASE TROUT

Catch-and-release trout season opens Saturday, March 23. Sites in northern Illinois include Rock Creek, Kankakee River SP; Pine Creek, White Pines Forest SP; Apple River, Apple River Canyon SP. Regular trout season opens April 6.

UPDATE ON CHICAGO PASSES

Now that Park Bait reopened, parking and pier passes may be bought there.

The Northerly Island Visitor Center remains closed, but parking passes or pier passes (credit card only) may be bought at these places and times as Carl Vizzone emailed:

Monday – North Park Village Nature Center 5801 N Pulaski Rd. Building “D” 9 a.m. –4 p.m.
Thursday – Lincoln Park Cultural Center 2045 North Lincoln Park West 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Friday – Big Marsh Park 11559 S. Stony Island 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Email fishing@chicagoparkdistrict.com with questions.

Chicago Park District parking passes ($20 for two months) are for the anglers’ parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors.

The park district pier passes ($10 for the season) allow legal access to select piers at Jackson Park, Burnham, DuSable, Diversey, Belmont and Montrose harbors.

NAVY PIER ANGLING

North side of Navy Pier is open for anglers. Discounted parking for anglers is $9 daily, beginning at 5 a.m.; must be out by 10 a.m. for the discount. Click here to prepay for the discounted tickets.

LAKEFRONT PARKING

My column from Nov. 30, 2022, on parking the length of the Chicago lakefront is posted here.

AREA LAKES

Andy Hansen holds his personal best largemouth bass, caught from a Chicago lagoon.

Andy Hansen messaged the photo above and this:

After a couple skunk days, finally found a few. This big girl went 4.61, 20”. Always fun on light gear. Here’s to spring!
Tight lines and be well, Andy

It’s the biggest one he ever got at that park.

Charles Horwatch with a largemouth bass from a suburban pond.

Charles Horwath of Darien emailed the photo above and this on Tuesday:

Thought it was a nice fish. Have a nice evening.

A good bluegill from Blackwell Forest Preserve.

Dave Dempsey messaged on Instagram the photo above and this:

Blackwell lake. Hair jig on slip bobber.

I found it an impressive bluegill from local public waters.

Dave Kranz of Dave’s Bait, Tackle and Taxidermy in Crystal Lake and with his You-Tube channel, Dave Kranz Living the wild outdoors, texted:

Crappie and bluegill have been biting good on Fox River channels and small ponds. Wax worms for the gills and minnows for the crappie have been the best. Walleyes at the McHenry Dam have been hit or miss. Minnows or plastics both work when they are eating.Some customers are having success with pike on large golden roach. I have heard of good catches from wonder lake, Fox River and Bangs Lake.

Ken "Husker" O'Malley holds mid-March largemouth bass. — Ken “Husker” O’Malley holds mid-March largemouth bass.

Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photos above and below, and this:

Hey Dale,
When they say the tug is the drug, that is so right on the money. After being sick for 2 1/2 weeks, I was finally able to get back at it. I can’t tell you how much I missed it. Water levels were up and dirty from yesterday’s rains with water temps in the mid 50s. I decided to go with a bladed jig with a keitech swing impact trailer. Pairing that up with a 4:7:1 gear ratio reel with FINS Braids windtamer braid was the perfect presentation. Slowing down that blade just enough to vibrate it allowed bass to hone in on the bait. Working the bait along flooded shoreline cover took the active bass. Tomorrow should be another good day before the cold front comes through on Sunday. The wildlife was out enjoying the nice day as well. Mallards are starting to pair up, muskrats were building nests, and turtles were everywhere. They were a bit camera shy though.
Here’s the nature pic of the week. Pairing up.
TTYL
Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team

Rob Abouchar messaged:

Hi Dale
The cold nights and chilly windy days have the water temps down a bit. The largemouth bass bite is good for nice pre-spawn bass out away from shoreline on medium golden roaches under a slip float with a plain hook. We also caught another cold water catfish. I have only had one hit on an artificial bait a beetle spin and the fish came loose. Maybe time to drag a jig and uncle josh or swim a grub. Very few out on the lake but one kayak angler reported catching panfish in a smoll twister tail under an action inducing slip bobber. The bobber name escapes me. A couple warm stable days and the bite will improve but. This is northern IllinoisThere has been a pair of sandhills landing and feeding on the island this week and the first great blue Herron arrived. I will be on spring break next week so a day at Braidwood or Heideke is on the calendar.
On the music front both rough demos are in and sound great for country boy and ladykiller blues. I met with Gordy from Woodlands studio and next step is master. My former drummer champagne Philipps informed me that he will be returning to town after moving to Georgia. He wants to get back to playing with the conscious rockers and hopefully recording of some more reggae original songs. We have April 20th with midnite mile at the good old Irish mill in Mundelein. Alwaysl great to be back in the hometown. Also a possible gig at the Sundance Saloon for the conscious rockers outside on the patio.
Spring has sprung the grass is ris i wonder where the birdies is . I heard the bird was on the wing...i thought the wing was on the Bird.
Tight lines and good health!
Rob

And my Tuesday is made with the music report.

BRAIDWOOD LAKE

Open daily 6 a.m.-sunset.

Click here for a preview that gives hope for a good year.

CHAIN O’LAKES AREA

Arden Katz found lots of bluegills in channels holding water with white or chartreuse Jigabites or Mini-Mites.

Water levels remain low, use caution launching and navigating.

NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.

NOTE 2: Stratton Lock and Dam is closed through April 30.

CHICAGO RIVER

Christopher Lising messaged the photos above and below from River Park near the confluence of the North Shore Channel and the North Branch, with this explanation.

Hi Dale.
Buddy of mine said you might like this. A smallmouth bass caught at River Dam Park. Never knew they were in there! Have a good one!
My buddy said it’s been 30 years since there’s been a smallmouth catch around there.
No idea how true that is, but very cool if it is!

Just wonderful.

I do know smallmouth that far up the North Branch are rare, but things have changed with the dam removal opening the river up to be a river again where fish species can move around.

Some visual context the smallmouth bass caught by Christopher Lising at River Park with the rapids, where the damn dam used to be on the North Branch of the Chicago River at the confluence with the North Shore Channel.

COOLING LAKES

Braidwood and LaSalle are open; Heidecke reopenss April 1.

DOWNSTATE

POWERTON:Both bank and boat fishing are open. Hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. through April 30.

EMIQUON PRESERVE: Open. Access permits and liability waivers are available Tuesday to Saturday at Dickson Mounts Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Randy Smith, Illinois River project director for The Nature Conservancy, emailed this year’s end overview:

I haven’t heard any good reports from bass anglers this year [2023], 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:Open.

HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Reopens May 1.

HEIDECKE LAKE

Scheduled to reopen April 1.

FOX RIVER

Dave Kranz of Dave’s Bait, Tackle and Taxidermy in Crystal Lake and with his YouTube channel, Dave Kranz Living the wild outdoors, texted:

Crappie and bluegill have been biting good on Fox River channels and small ponds. Wax worms for the gills and minnows for the crappie have been the best. Walleyes at the McHenry Dam have been hit or miss. Minnows or plastics both work when they are eating.
Some customers are having success with pike on large golden roach.

ILLINOIS RIVER

NOTE: The Masters Walleye Circuit tournament out of Spring Valley is Friday and Saturday, March 22-23.

The MWC gave these details for spectators.

Event specifics include a 7:30 am (CDT) take-off each day and live weigh-ins at the Spring Valley Boat Club at 3:30 pm (CDT) on March 22-23, 2024. Spectators are welcomed to witness the excitement in person weigh in are free and open to the public, or follow the action live online at masterswalleyecircuit.com or on the official Facebook page, facebook.com/MastersWalleyeCircuit

LAKE ERIE

Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.

LAKEFRONT

Jeremy Jakiel messaged the photo at the very top and the photo above and this from the private Hole-Hoppers Facebook tournament over the week:

1st Jason le
2nd Vic biglang
3rd Ron ceder
Big brown -Dodong Takata
Jason had 2 coho weighing 3lb 9 oz
Vic 1 coho 1lb 12oz
Ron 1 coho 10 oz
Big brown 11lb

Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:

Hi Dale,
Fishing reports are getting better.
Coho picking up day by day up and down the lakefront, they are also starting to get bigger! Hitting large minnows and night crawlers, gotta switch it up. Nick Delgado from Hole Hoppers Facebook group had his Coho tournament here on Sunday which went well. The early bite was slower but I heard that the fish started hitting better a little later but that’s Fishing right? I also think they are closer to the shoreline because rod and reel guys doing OK as well. Some nice big Browns caught and a couple Steelhead.
Haven’t heard of any other species lately.
No recent perch reports.
Our hours for now are still 6am to 4pm we will be changing them soon.
Have a great week!

LaSALLE LAKE

Opening weekend report at top.

Site is open daily 6 a.m.-sunset. As a perched lake, LaSalle can have boating closed often by winds; check daily updates on boating at (815) 640-8099.

MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN

Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop.

MAZONIA

Fishing is open at both units. Any ice fishing is at your own risk.

Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset.

NORTHWEST INDIANA

NOTE: Indiana’s stocking of urban lakes with channel catfish included Robinson Park Lake (Hobart – Lake County) with 300.

Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:

Coho action for trollers has picked up. Hammond to Michigan city giving up fish. Rattling thinfish, flicker shad, jointed rapalas doing well.
Coho action for shore fishermen still on the slow side but better than it has been. Squid, skein and shrimp baits to use.
Wolf lake in Hammond giving up some crappie and a walleye here and there. Xl- fatheads under floats best.
Crappie good under 249 bridge fishing the boat docks and bridge using minnows.

ROCK RIVER, WISCONSIN

Arden Katz caught walleye, including one to 19 1/2 inches, at Jefferson Dam, using a Keitech swimbait and 1/8th-ounce jig in a three-way rig with a red or purple fly.

ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN

Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.

SHABBONA LAKE

Boondocks is closed.

March site hours are 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN

Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said a few steelhead are at Berrien Springs; the St. Joseph pier is slow and weather has prevented or limited boaters.

WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN

Guide Bill Stoeger texted:

The water temperature dropped 7 degrees in the last two days. The walleye bite has slowed down. Some females spawned out have come in over the weekend, but I think that’s going to slow down until the water warms up.

Next Up In Outdoors

Chicago outdoors: From pileated woodpeckers to eastern milksnakes

How old are you in cicada years?

Whoops! Rare crane rescued in Wilmette, returned to Wisconsin

First bison babies of year born at Fermilab: ‘Calving season is the most rewarding time of the year’

Reaching into the art of Matt Mullady's outdoors experiences

Go & Show: RFC's swap meet and NADCA's decoy & sporting collectibles show