Leading the sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing are inland fish putting on the fall feedbag and shoreline salmon and trout continuing on Lake Michigan.
Dan Bernstein, a midday host on The Score, tweeted the photo at the top on Twitter. More in the AREA LAKES report.
SHORELINE SALMON/TROUT
The blow the last several days limited action, even from shore on southern Lake Michigan, but fish continue to be caught, especially inside the harbors and in the tributaries.
CHICAGO: BoRabb Williams posted a video on Facebook today and this about an important part of etiquette in shoreline salmon fishing:
when someone says ” FISH ON “… out of COURTESY… pull ALL LINES OUT OF THE WATER…because Big Fish RUN in ALL DIRECTIONS….. watch THIS Salmon NIGHTMARES….. Dam B???H !!!!…. Night Night !!!…. I’m STILL SICK !!!!
Dan Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle said at least two big kings Tuesday were caught Tuesday morning at 31st on glow Cleos, glow spoons are the main lure but also 3/4-ounce silver and green Kastmaster at DuSable.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Good morning
Those high winds over the weekend had the lake churned up and certain areas were not fishable so reports were slower but there were still Kings caught here and there. Still casting lures and crankbaits but they should start hitting on bait such as spawn sacs, larger minnows, crawlers etc…
. . .
Have a great week!
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Still lots of groups fishing nwi tributaries for salmon. Spinners, skein and spawn saks baits to use.
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN: Arden Katz said caught salmon jigging 1-ounce Kastmasters at the Milwaukee north gap, then , a couple at the mouth of the river near Horner Bridge. They also cauight a couple from shore in Kenosha, midnight to 3 a.m., on Rat-L-Traps and K.O. Wobblers, green and glow.
ILLINOIS CATCH-AND-RELEASE TROUT
Catch-and-release trout season opens Saturday, Oct. 5. 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 Oct. 19. Details are on the overall fall trout season is at https://dnr.illinois.gov/press-release.30440.html.
CHICAGO PASSES
Park Bait and Bridgeport Bait and Tackle are now selling parking 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 at https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/11/30/23485385/chicago-lakefront-parking-fishing
FROGGING
Illinois: From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:
“Bullfrogs may be taken only by hook and line, gig, pitchfork, spear, bow and line, or bow and arrow and arrow, hand, or landing net.June 15 through October 15, both dates inclusiveDaily Harvest Limit is 8; possession limit is 16A sport fishing license is required to harvest reptiles and amphibians”
Indiana: From the Indiana DNR:
“Frog hunting season runs from June 15, 2024 – April 30, 2025, and hunters can harvest the American bullfrog and green frog. The bag limit is 25 frogs per day with a possession limit of 50 frogs, and any combination of bullfrogs or green frogs maybe be used to reach these bag and harvest limits.”
AREA LAKES
Dan Bernstein tweeted the photo at the top and messaged this:
Just ideal fishing conditions in the Lake County preserves today. Overcast, light breeze, mid-60s temps. Got 15 largemouth bass on the afternoon, all on 4″ wacky bubble-gum Senko. Biggest (pics tweeted) were 19″ and 20.5″. Also got a 15″.
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:
October can be a great time to fish with some hunting instead of fishing. Panfish, bass and catfish bite great in the fall. The warmest time of the day starts to be the best time to fish. Use cut bait for catfish. Bass will hit top water baits and frog fishing is still very good! Leaves on the water are as good as a weed mat. Panfish like small minnows and wax worms.
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photos above and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks
. . .
Area lakes- I was greeted with remnants from Helene. Winds weren’t as bad as yesterday, but at times there were heavy downpours. Add the rains from earlier in the week and water levels rose and good deal. Water temps were 66-67 to start the morning. The focus was flooded vegetation along windblown shorelines. A buzzbait from Razor tackle got the call. That was an excellent choice as bass were all over it. FINS Braids windtamer braid paired with a Revo S completed the setup. Fall fishing is now in full swing.
TTYL
Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team
Pete Lamar emailed:
HI Dale,
No attached images this week: either the fish were not worth photographing of it was too dark when I caught them.
Good numbers of bass and bluegills on the local forest preserve lakes, but all were small. Even in bright sun and high winds, they were hitting a small wet fly aggressively. The wind kept the biting insects away, so I didn’t mind fishing in those conditions. Recent rains and cool nights have raised water levels and cut down on the aquatic vegetation respectively, so finding open water to cast is much easier than it had been.
Rob Abouchar messaged the photo above and this:
Hi Dale
On island lake the good bite continues as the algae continues to die off and the water clarity clears. Bass hitting soft plastics wacky rigged or Texas rigged senkos in black and blue or green pumpkin. A black and blue chatterbait got some hits as well. The panfish bite is still very good on red worms in the late evening just before dark. Gills perch and small bass hitting around sand grass.
. . .
On the music front it’s more rehearsal with Gozortenplat for shows in December with Ray white. The conscious rockers at main Street outfitters November 30 and midnite mile at Mso in 3 weeks…lots of jams as the season progresses.
Tight lines and good health Rob
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset.
Final day of fishing is Oct. 15.
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Kyle Tepper at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said fishing will improve overall with cooling weather; for now, catfish continues good shallow, as are flatheads; white bass improving, shallow evernings (3-5 feet) spinners or slip bobber rigs; bluegill remain good around the docks, especially deeper ones; walleye are good, shallow evenings 3-5 (days 8-12) jig and crawler, leech or minnow or crankbaits; muskie bite is good on bucktails and starting on plastics; largemouth are schooling chasing bait shallow, swimbaits; crappie are hit and miss.
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: Stratton Lock and Dam is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Oct. 31.
CHICAGO RIVER
Dan Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle said nice perch, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass were being caught at the Riverwalk on roaches.; a variety of fish being caught at Ping Tom Park, as well as 27th and Ashland.
COOLING LAKES
Final day of fishing at Heidecke is Tuesday, Oct. 8; at Braidwood and LaSalle, Oct. 15.
Braidwood, Heidecke and LaSalle are open daily 6 a.m.-sunset.
DELAVAN LAKE, WISCONSIN
Arden Katz said bluegill were outstanding in 15 feet; then caught northern pike and a 20-inch walleye on white 3-inch Keitech swimbaits in 8-13 feet.
DOWNSTATE
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed for the season.
POWERTON: Both bank and boat fishing are open. Hours are 6 a.m.-8 p.m. through Sept. 30. Boating ends Oct. 20; Bank fishing ends Oct. 25. Dec. 23 lake reopens for bank fishing.
EMIQUON PRESERVE: Open daily, sunrise to sunset. Access permits and liability waivers are available Tuesday to Saturday at Dickson Mounts Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details at https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/2024EmiquonLakeAccessRules.pdf.
SPRING LAKE: Open. Boating ends Oct. 18. Bank fishing allowed after 1 p.m., Oct. 26-Dec. 24.
FOX RIVER
Pete Lamar emailed:
HI Dale,
No attached images this week: either the fish were not worth photographing of it was too dark when I caught them.
. . .
The Fox wasn’t affected that much by recent rains. It came up a little, but only a little and clarity was still good. I got into some nice smallmouth after dark last week. They were set up in surprisingly skinny water, not much more than ankle deep. It was barely enough to cover their backs. They must have been on the prowl for crayfish, minnow, leeches, etc., in such shallow lies.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris texted the photo above and emailed this:
Fishing Report – 9/30/2024
By Mike Norris
Big Green Lake: Steady weather was the ticket last week for what turned out to be the best week of bluegill fishing I have ever experienced on Big Green. I’m finding bluegills in forty feet of water adjacent to deep cribs, and the three-eighth-ounce drop shot rig with a #6 hook gets the bait down to them fast. The surface water temperature is still in the low 70s, so turnover isn’t here, and the bite for multiple species of gamefish should remain good this coming week. My clients and I are doing equally well catching largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, though the ratio of largemouth caught versus smallmouth caught is starting to lean heavily on the smallmouth bass side. My biggest smallmouth bass caught last week was one ounce shy of five pounds. Northern pike and walleye fishing is also good due to the stable weather we are experiencing. Lake trout season closes at the end of the day Monday, September 30th. The big fall smallmouth bass bite should start in mid-October and I have just a few openings left. Message me through my website: www.comecatchsmallmouth.com
Little Green Lake: Muskies are righted excellent right now on Little Green due to the stable weather with warm afternoons and cool evenings. Try trolling with bucktails over weed beds in eight feet of water. Perch are good around the piers and beneath fallen shoreline timber.
Fox Lake: Largemouth bass, northern pike, and walleye are good around piers and shoreline-related weed beds. Try casting swimbaits and crankbaits around the rocky points of the tips of the islands and near shoreline-related weed beds.
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR weekly report.
HEIDECKE LAKE
Final day of fishing is Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks
Heidecke Lake- The morning started off seeing a ring neck roadside heading to the launch. I figured the day was going to be a good one. Well, not so fast. Managed to lose the first 4 fish at boat side including a very nice smallmouth. At that point I needed to give myself a time out and gather my composer. After that managed to hook into smaller bass and walleye, but over all the day was a complete grind. Fish were all caught on finesse presentations with FINS Braids wind tamer braid. The most consistent baits were a TRD and damiki rig. Water temps started off at 67 and rose to near 72 by the time the boat was on the trailer. Shad schools were everywhere which also led to the difficult fishing. Some days are going to be like that, but overall it was an absolute beautiful day on the water.
. . .
TTYL
Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team
Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset.
KANKAKEE RIVER
Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale
– River is still low only coming up a few inches from rain over weekend and water temps are at 68. Fishing was on slow side had work for them for sure. Best smallmouth was caught early on a swimbait in 4’ to 6’ of water. Caught another decent bass on a jig/craw shallow just off rocks. No pattern really yet fish are scattered. Still waiting for quality and quantity for both smallmouth and Walleye.
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
LAKEFRONT
Weather greatly limited boat fishing for days and impacted shore fishing.
Dan Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle said at least two big kings were caught Tuesday on glow Cleos at 31st; pike caught at Burnham on Wonderbread spoon; glow spoons are the main lure but also 3/4-ounce silver and green Kastmaster caught salmon.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Good morning
Those high winds over the weekend had the lake churned up and certain areas were not fishable so reports were slower but there were still Kings caught here and there. Still casting lures and crankbaits but they should start hitting on bait such as spawn sacs, larger minnows, crawlers etc…
Northerns were becoming more active as well as the Smallmouth. Sheephead on the Horseshoe on live crayfish on the bottom.
Have a great week!
SALMON SNAGGING: Snagging Chinook and coho salmon on the lakefront at a few select spots, opened today, Oct. 1. Here are the details from the IDNR:
4) 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: A) Lincoln Park Lagoon from the Fullerton Avenue Bridge to the southern end of the Lagoon. B) Waukegan Harbor (in North Harbor basin only). C) Winnetka Power Plant discharge area. D) Jackson Harbor (Inner and Outer Harbors).
LaSALLE LAKE
Open daily 6 a.m. to 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.
Final day of fishing is Oct. 15.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
MAZONIA
Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset.
Final day of fishing (Monster remains open all year) is Oct. 15.
NOTE: Area around Eagle and Ponderosa lakes at Mazonia South is closed for construction and probably will be into winter.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
Been a very warm September. Thought with forecast of cooler mornings and temps to come, that things would get back to a normal fall. Well, with the temps cracking into the 80’s in the afternoons, not much changed. Surface temps dropping overnight to lows in upper 60’s climbing back to low 70’s by afternoons. As, we turn the calendar page, looks like October may FINALLY bring some fall like temps.
Bluegill: Good – Same as past couple weeks. Suspending outside coontail edges in 12-14’ and around drowned wood. Beavertails (small crawlers) best.
Musky: Good-Fair – Early mornings best up tight on inside weed edges and shallow weeds. With bright sun and mostly flat water, better to move out to deeper water weeds as things brighten up. Top-water and bucktails that you can ride up over weeds. Gliders and twitchbaits moving fish also. Best fish of the week, a 48” “first fish” Musky caught with guide Jake Smith!
Smallmouth Bass: Good-Fair – Drop-shotting over gravel humps in 18-28’ providing some action. Lots of searching for active fish, best in late mornings.
Northern Pike: Good-Fair – Flat, warm afternoons not helping. #4 & #5 Mepps and spinnerbaits picking up fish in deeper weeds. Pike prefer the cooler temps, bite should improve.
Crappie: Good-Fair – Another species (Nearly all of them actually), that seems to be waiting for a drop in water temps to kick in. Some decent catches of fish suspending 2-4’ off bottom outside coontail edges and over drowned wood in 12-14’ of water.
Yellow Perch: Fair – Best in remaining green cabbage and woody bottoms on medium fatheads or half crawlers.
Largemouth Bass: Fair – Surprisingly few reports at our shop. Couple reports of good plastic frog top-water bites in the slop. Some fish on Wackys mid-day.
Walleye: Fair-Poor – Conditions NOT on our side. Crawlers and large fatheads over off-shore gravel humps of 22-30’, but mostly smaller fish. Some still weed related, just outside deepest cabbage in 12-15’ over mud.
We are finally seeing some patches of color in the area, they seemed to pop up overnight and will probably fill in quickly due to the late start. Can’t recall such a warm, sunny, and many days windless, September. Thought it was going to change this past week, but didn’t. Yet now, as we start October, forecast of lows in upper 30’s/low 40’sand highs in the upper 50’s to low 60’s, we will finally get this fall fishing bite going.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sports Shop
– Like us on FaceBook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Still lots of groups fishing nwi tributaries for salmon. Spinners, skein and spawn saks baits to use.
Crappie for boat fisherman fishing around 249 bridge down from portage public marinaaround the old docks using crappie minnows move around till you find them.
Crappie on lake George in Hobart will just get better with the cool weather. Fish the bridges and gazebos and use minnows.
ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
SHABBONA LAKE
Pete Lamar emailed:
I fished Shabbona one afternoon/evening last week. I started out by walking along the dam looking for schools of shad and casting to them to see what might have been hunting them. Schools were hard to locate because of some chop on the water from pretty strong winds. Right around sunset, mayflies started their mating ritual and depositing eggs within a few feet of shore. Some small fish took notice: not sure if it was juvenile panfish, baby shad or minnows, but a lot of the mayflies were getting eaten when they got close to the water. I thought for sure some walleyes, bass or catfish would be feeding on the baitfish as it got darker and the ovipositing continued, but it never happened for me.
Staff at Boondocks reported catfish continue good on shrimp, including 8.4 pound catfish caught Monday; walleye are decent in the trees and off the handicapped pavilion; hybrid stripers doing well by the dam on chicken livers; water is around 70.
Site hours are 6 a.m.-10 p.m. through Oct. 31.
New restaurant hours: Monday-Thursday 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Boondocks bait shop remains 6 a.m.- 7 p.m.
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LAKEFRONT
Click here for the southern Lake Michigan reports from the Wisconsin DNR.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said a walleye of 8-9 pounds was caught Monday at Berrien Springs, otherwise, it is quiet because of the blow on Lake Michigan.
WISCONSIN RIVER
Rob Abouchar messaged the photo above and this:
Hi Dale
. . .
In Merrill Wisconsin on the Alexander flowage Saturday the conditions were as good as it gets. One of those days, you are lucky to catch before the weather turns cold. It felt more like August than the end of September with 80 air temperatures and the water Temps still in high 60s. The foliage changing was the only visual difference. Smallmouth still hitting wacky rigged senkos around wood and rocks in 1 to 6 feet of water. On my very last spot I hooked into one of my biggest fish in a while. A mid forty inch musky hit my og Rocco crankbait just outside the eelgrass edge. After circling the boat several times it came to the net. I had an encounter with a ski in the same area earlier this season. What a way to end the day.
. . .
Tight lines and good health Rob
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
Water temp Monday was still in the mid 60’s. Some white bass are showing up in the mouth of the river near Poygan. Crappie and bluegill are still filling the cooler, mainly Fremont and north.