The spring trout opener in Illinois and other spring signs (spring signs?) lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
The top photo is from opening day of Illinois’ trout season last year at Green Lake, where we had at least three kinds of precipitation, including snow, graupel and rain.
Illinois spring trout
Season opens Saturday, April 6, statewide. Those 16 and older need a fishing license and inland trout stamp. Daily bag is five. Nearby sites include (Cook County) Axehead, Belleau, Green, Horsetail, Saq Quarry East, Wolf Lake at William Powers SRA; (DuPage) Grove, Pickerel, Silver; (Kankakee) Bird Park Quarry, Rock Creek in Kankakee River SP; (Kendall) Big Lake, Silver Springs SFWA; (Lake) Sand Lake, Illinois Beach SP; (McHenry County) Lake Atwood, Piscasaw Creek; (Will) Lake Milliken, Des Plaines SFWA.
Illinois catch-and-release trout
Catch-and-release trout season is open. 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 Saturday, April 6.
Smelt
I saw no one opening night Monday. Season runs through April 30. Chicago Park District regulations the same — nets may go in at 7 p.m., must be out of the parks by 1 a.m., no open fires, no closed tents, no parking on grass or sidewalks.
Update on Chicago passes
Now that Park Bait reopened, parking passes may be bought there. Stay tuned for other sites to soon sell passes.
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.
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
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:
Believe it or not all of these spring rains, will actually make fishing better. As the water level comes up, the fish move to the bank. Fish flooded brush, wood and rock for bass, crappies and bluegills. They will be there to eat the bait that has also come to the bank.
For you trout fishing enthusiasts this is you week opener on Saturday! Prepared, trout bait, spinners, spoons along with wax worms or crawlers will all work. Lake Atwood in the Hollows conservation district is the closest one to Dave’s Bait and Tackle, good luck!!
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photos above and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap from the past weeks fishing.
They say winds for the east fish bite the least. Well that doesn’t always hold true. The heavy overnight rains paired with another front coming in plus rising water temps had the bass on a feeding frenzy today. A bladed jig with a On’Em Bait Co. swimbait was the only presentation needed today. Working the bait tight to flooded timber and outflows took good numbers today. One bass still had a bluegill in its gullet plus what it had eaten earlier and still wanted more. That is how active the bass were today. Water clarity was only about six inches with temps at 53. The forecast for the rest of week will knock those temps down some. Looking ahead to the following week really looks promising.
. . .
TTYL
Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team
Pete Lamar emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale, Back in February, when I was fishing open water-not chopping holes in ice-in a light jacket and without gloves, I thought that maybe March and April would be equally warm and the good fishing would continue. That turned out to be wildly inaccurate. Cold and wind for just about the entire month of March really slowed the fishing. I tried a couple of small ponds in the neighborhood over the weekend in the hope that maybe they’d warmed up some in the afternoon sun. The bass in the attached image wasn’t the biggest fish I caught in a park district pond; it was the only one I caught. I got into some crappies on a different pond the next day. But an extended warm up in the near future would be very welcome.
Rob Abouchar messaged the photo above and this:
Hi Dale.
The cold and windy spring weather remained the same last week but signs of the season continue to progress. Hyacinths and daffodils blooming in the cold and early tulips refusing to open until a little sun and warmth arrive. Several more bird arrivals indicate spring is here. Big groups of red winged blackbirds, turkey vultures circling high in the sky. a blue headed grackle and a brown headed cowbird were at the feeders. I spotted what i think was a pair of wood ducks at the feeders also. A loon swimming in our neck of the lake is feeding on bait.
The fishing progressed a bit as i finally got bass to hit a rattle trap in chroe with blue back. Bass continued to hit large golden roach minnows under thill slip floats. The fish have been thick and healthy some clearly feeding up for the spawn and with eggs.
On the music front the Damian and Steven Marley show Saturday was an instant classic. A big time reggae show for Chicago. The two songs country boy and ladykiller blues are mastered and ready for release. Very exciting time heading into the warmer days ahead. Rehearsals again this week in Milwaukee for Gozortenplat! Tight lines and good health.
Rob
And my day is made with the music update.
Dan Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle said crappie are being caught at Sag Quarries
Braidwood Lake
Mark Karczewski emailed the photo above and this:
My son Tony caught this 6lb LM, 19 1/2 in. at Braidwood Friday morning. Caught on a wobble head with a twin tail trailer.
Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this Saturday evening:
Hey Dale.
Braidwood bass today but nothing over 3 lbs. Landed several largemouth along with a rare braidwood Smallmouth on Chatterbaits, Crainkbaits and Ned rigs. Water temps are at upper 60s cold side and low 70s other side. 4 weeks of fishing pressure is evident by both quality and quantity of bass being caught but still one of the top lakes in our area. Enjoy your Easter.
He’s right about it being one of the top lakes in the area.
Open daily 6 a.m.-sunset.
Click here for a preview that gives hope for a good year.
Chain O’Lakes area
NOTE: The lower river went to no-wake on Monday. Probably good to regularly check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
Proprietor Greg Dickson at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said some are trying to fish. “If we ever get consistency on weather, we can count on crappie. It will eventually get warm.”
NOTE 2: Stratton Lock and Dam is closed through April 30, 2024.
Chicago River
Dan Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle said big catfish on Nitro worms and crappie being caught on the South Branch
Cooling Lakes
Braidwood, Heidecke and LaSalle are open daily 6 a.m.-sunset.
Des Plaines River
Dan Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle said some nice pike on spinners.
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.
SPRING LAKE:Open.
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Reopens May 1.
Fox River
Lower river (Algonquin Dam to Stratton Lock and Dam) went no-wake on Monday. Probably good to regularly check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
Green/Sturgeon, Wisconsin
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR weekly report.
Heidecke Lake
Lake reopened on Monday. (See column tomorrow.) Very few boaters out on opening day, they were pitching for bass in the bay by the launch. I saw or heard of shore anglers catching multiple walleye, including at least three of 20 inches or longer; yellow bass on the south side of the center dike and a drum by the handicapped pier.
Open daily 6 a.m. (6:30 bank fishing) to sunset.
Illinois River
Predicted to be in flood stage through the weekend at Ottawa, into next week at Starved Rock and LaSalle.
Kankakee River
Predicted to be at flood stage through Sunday.
Lake Erie
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
Lakefront
Wayne Hankins texted the photo above and this on Monday:
21 inches
4 1/2 pounds
Caught on powerline yesterday on minnow about 90 yards out
That’s a wonderful smallmouth bass.
Capt. Ernesto Amparan of Thin Blue Line Fishing LLC emailed the photo above and this last week:
Hey Dale, Check out this bad boy we caught today. Beautiful 22.3 lbs male Brown Trout in 23fow on Downrigger with Green Dolphin. Caused a little mess with my other lines as it swam into them, but fortunately we were able to land him.
Dan Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle said one of the guys who works for him caught good smallmouth with Keitech 2.8-inch swimbaits at Montrose; 87th slowed for perch; some browns at 92nd; south of McCormick has varied reports for powerliners on coho; 39th producing coho for casters and powerliners.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Fishing report is:
Still quite a few Brown Trout. Coho are hit and miss just like the weather. Also guys still reporting perch catches while powerlining for Coho. They are nice size also. I don’t know of anyone specifically targeting perch but it might be worth a shot.
Yesterday April 1, was opening day for smelt fishing in which I do have to say the weather was bad so we closed shop early. Maybe by next week I’ll have something to report?
Our hours now have changed.
New hours are 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7 days a week but it looks as though these first few days of April the weather will not be cooperating even have snow in the forecast so we will probably be closing early the next few days. It’s always best to call first when weather is iffy.Have a great week!
LaSalle Lake
Site is open daily 6 a.m.-sunset. As a perched lake, boating is closed when winds top or will top 14 mph. 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
Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset.
Northwest Indiana
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Perch action still good for boaters fishing what they call the Gary clay flats in 50 to 58 straight north of Gary lighthouse when weather allows the boats out there.
Coho action for trollers good using rattling thinfish and dodger flys Chicago to Michigan city giving up fish when wind lets the boats out there.
Weather as usual playing a big part of how many fishermen out so reports not steady for inland lakes and ponds.
Root River, Wisconsin
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Shabbona Lake
Site hours are 6 a.m.-10 p.m. through Oct. 31.
Boondocks, which is open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, reported few out but some crappie being caught.
Southeast Wisconsin Lakefront
Click here for the southern Lake Michigan reports from the Wisconsin DNR.
Southwester Michigan
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said coho are being caught 10-40 feet with a few kings in 40-50; the pier is slow; some steelhead by the Berrien Springs Dam.
Wolf River, Wisconsin
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
Recent cool weather has kept water temperatures down, 41.6 Monday. There’s a lot of walleye still coming through. Next weeks warm up should get the spawn in full swing.
