Chicago fishing: Shoreline salmon & trout, summery temps bring low warm water inland

Endless Salmon follow up lures on the pier during the tournament and about 5 fish lost total during the Salmon Nightmares Tournament..9-14-24 Clyde had a real deal Nightmare!! He lost a monster midway through the tournament. One guy didn’t want to be in the tournament but donated. He end catching a fish 5mins later…. So day 2 of the tournament for the Salmon Nightmares Belt/pot continues

Hey Dale, I got there late like around 6:30 a.m. and i saw my YouTube fan hookup a king. He fought like about 2 mins then the hook came off. Then I cast my spoon out about 5 casts then I hook up this coho but it don’t fight much.

2 bait shop guys messin around lol

Joe caught these this morning and another guy had 4

2 really nice fish 1 male 1 female

Hi Dale,

I have to say that even with this warm weather and warm water temps fishing for Salmon in my opinion has been the best it’s been in many years up and down the lakefront. Of course there are guys that have not gotten any but I know quite a few that have caught at least 1 and a few guys have caught up to 4 in one night. There have been a lot of hits and misses also. No special spoon or crankbait has been better than another they all have potential. Most active in the dark hours but there have been some caught during the day. 1 guy came in Friday afternoon got a couple lures went out made 2 casts and caught 1. Also had 1 guy caught 1 on spawn sacs. There are also Steelhead, Coho and Northerns in the mix.

. . .

Have a great week!

Waukegan 09/16

Hi Dale –

A lot of really good signs appeared this weekend. A cold water current developed bringing in cool water in 60-75 feet. More importantly staging kings were there. I thought we would have an early run. But it looks like they are late this year. All we need is a little Southwest wind and the kings will be in the harbors. For now harbor fishing is slow. Waukegan has seen a fish here or there but most anglers are leaving empty handed. Those being taken have been on glow spoons very late at night or early morning. Usually the best time are sunrise or just after sundown. But it’s been that dead of night which has been better now.

. . .

This Sunday night through Wednesday is supposed to be South and West wind with some rain and I think the fish will come in.

Scott Wolfe
312-933-0552

Still slow trickle of salmon entering nwi tributaries water is low and fish are scattered cover some water for best shot at catching them. Spinners, skein, spawn saks baits to try.

Many bodies of water are at the low of the year, this has caused many to have lots of weeds on the surface. For me that means one thing break out the slop frogs and catch some bass!! . . . Take advantage of everyday you can, in 90 days you could be drilling ice to catch them.

Hey Dale,

Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.

Area lakes- The month of September has been an odd one. Above average temps and no rain. Water temps should definitely be lower right now. Overnight dew points have not been that high so water temps have dropped into the high 60’s. Time to grab that buzz bait at first light. It’s important to use a high speed reel in 7:5:1 to get that bait on plane soon as it hits the water. Bass have been very good working that bait along the outside weedlines. That bite will last for the first hour and a half then switch to a baby 1-. This pattern will last for the next week or so with those above average temps. Summer doesn’t want to seem to let go just yet.

. . .

Here is the nature pic of the week [below].

TTYL

Ken “Husker” O’Malley

Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team

Hi Dale

The stable warm weather and approaching full moon has a good bite going on island lake. Panfish and bass continue to be active in 2 to 5 feet of water in open areas with sand grass. The holes are getting smaller as the fillamentous algae rapidly grows out of control. Our whole section of the lake is becoming choked but the fish are there still. I had a Panfish grand slam of sorts on my gapen jig and red trout worms under slip float. Bluegill, perch, redear sunfish and a perch got the slam. Casting the bait in open areas was key. Bass are still going on senkos Texas rigged and wacky rigged. Again hitting holes edges or open areas out of the algae is key. I think the bass anglers are staying away because of the nuisance algae. The best action has been in the evening. This Saturday will be the first fishing club outing to heidecke Lake for the Leyden Bass club. Hopefully the weather will be good.

On the music front midnite mile turned in a great show Sunday afternoon at tipsy O’Brians in Mundelein. Having old Fat Banana bandmate Tony Dimaria back for the show brought back memories of when we were a top grateful dead cover band in Chicago playing cubby bear shades house of blues and others… Great times! Gozortenplat is back in rehearsal for zappfest in December and working up Zappa Classics like Dancin fool and Magic fingers. This show should be a great one.

Tight lines and good health!

Rob

Hi Dale,

Bass continue to hit well on soft plastics, best in the evening in large weed beds. Rock bass adding variety and hitting large bass baits

All the best

Mike Lyons

Hey Dale,

. . .

As far as the Chicago River, I’ve been fishing the riverwalk a lot the past few weeks. Work is required to find the fish– I usually keep moving the entire time rather than staying in one spot. Lots of largemouth bass caught in the 10 to 14 inch range. On Sunday morning I hit the riverwalk early and caught the biggest crappie of the year on a ned rig– I’m estimating about 15 inches. It was a slab– just in a different class from the other crappie I’ve caught there this year.

Delavan Lake Fishing Report 9/16/24 through 9/23/24

Largemouth bass are starting to move out of their tight summer schools and can be found throughout the weedline in 12-14 ft of water. In the early morning, the top water bite is available and you can also find them casting medium diving crankbaits. The best patterns are chrome/blue or perch for the crankbaits. The best location has been just west of the Yacht Club or by the Browns Channel weedline.

Northern pike action is starting to improve. With the cooler water, the fish are moving into the 12-14 ft depth range. They can be caught on Thill slip bobbers fished with medium suckers or casting white spinner baits. The best location is the Viewcrest Bay or the weed flat by Browns Channel. As the fall progresses, the northern pike action will continue to improve.

Walleye fishing has been slow. There is some action coming from chrome/blue jigging Rapalas in 20-22 ft of water, or lindy rigging jumbo leeches. The best location has been by the concrete point or by Willow point. The walleye bite is always best in the fall, so the cooler nights will help improve the bite in the coming weeks.

Crappie fishing has been above average in the 30-35 ft depth range. They can be caught on slip bobbers and fat head minnows. The fish are in the main lake basin. Look for them by Willow Point or in front of Assembly Park. They are typically soft this time of year, so you want to get them on ice quickly.

Bluegill fishing has been average. The best bite is in the 12-15 ft depth range. The fish are biting on small leaf worms or wax worms fished on an ice jig. The best color is chartreuse or orange. I’ve been catching most of my fish by Del Mar subdivision.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063.

Hey Dale,

Here’s a report on the Fox River from Len Cajic:

“The Fox River is very shallow and the water is stained / dirty. If you want any chance of catching smallmouth bass wading is best and covering water. Fishing from shore is tough with the low water levels. Fish are very active and feeding for fall. Fish can be caught near dams, structure, deeper holes, and current seams. Shallow running crankbaits, swimbaits, and subsurface lures in bright colors or craw patterns work best. Fishing seems to be tough on the weekends from a lot of pressure from anglers.”

. . . It’s also a great time to hit the Fox River for smallmouth bass. From the Algonquin dam to the Illinois River fall is my favorite time for Smallmouth. Small top water baits and inline spinners like Mepps will work great!

Hi Dale,

No surprises: the Fox is running low, as low as I’ve ever seen it. I’ve waded across it in places without going much more than knee deep. There are areas with almost no current. That is of course affecting the fishing. I’ve tried some new locations recently in an effort to find some current and oxygenated water. The other option is to fish closer to dams. It looks as if this will continue for a while; adjustments need to be made. Fish are still in the river. They’re-in many cases-not in their usual spots.

Pete

Lake Geneva Fishing Report 9/16/24 – 9/23/24

We’ve had some strong high pressure systems this week which has made the fishing tougher than it already was on Lake Geneva. The walleye pike bite is still your best bet but it’s still only a night bite.

Largemouth bass fishing has been average in the 14-17 ft depth range. The fish can be found on the weed line by Trinkes, the 700 club and Covenant Harbor. The best approach is drop shotting 4 inch finesse worms or in the early morning hours fishing chug bugs in chrome/blue or chrome/black. Once we get a weather change and the pressure drops we should see this bite get stronger.

Bluegill action remains steady in 18-20 ft of water. The best location remains by Elgin Club or Gage Marine. The bluegills are biting about 6 inches to 1 foot off bottom. You want to use leaf worms or trout worms for the best success.

Walleye fishing remains excellent when there is any wind at night. The bite is best between 9:00 pm and 2:00 am. Medium diving stick baits have been producing most of the fish. Chrome & blue and chrome & black have been producing well. Fish the stick baits just above the weed line. The best location has been by Trinkes, Abbey Springs or in Williams Bay.

Smallmouth bass have been extremely hard to find. They’ve vanished into their deep water haunts. There are a few being caught by Gage Marine or the Yacht Club in 20-22 ft of water. The best chance for success is lindy rigged nightcrawlers or yellow perch. The large schools aren’t available now but expected back as we get into fall.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063

Fishing Report – 9/15/2024

By Mike Norris

Big Green Lake: The big bluegill bite was excellent early last week but slowed as the week progressed. I suspect warmer temperatures and a lack of wind played a role in the slower bite. Ditto for walleyes. On the other hand, fishing for both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass remains good. Perch are starting to show up on shallower sand grass flats and the bass are following them. Nonetheless, there is still nice-sized bass out on the weedline edges. Drop shot rigging, shaky head jigging, and jig and plastics are all working well. The light winds have helped out the lake trout anglers who are vertical jigging with spoons and rattle baits in 60 feet of water.

Little Green Lake: Despite the above-normal warm temperatures of last week, the muskie bite on Little Green is excellent right now. Try casting bucktails along and just outside the weedline. Bluegills, perch, and bass fishing are rated good; these fish are moving shallower. We are heading toward a full moon phase, so fishing should remain good.

Fox Lake: Northern pike fishing is good right now. Anglers are catching them with chatterbaits. Walleyes and crappies are biting in deep water out in the lake’s basin with a jig and minnow. Both bluegill and largemouth bass fishing are slow.

Hey Dale,

. . .

Heidecke Lake- Here’s a recap from todays adventure to Heidecke Lake. I launched just past 6 and surprisingly someone beat me to the punch. Plenty of fog needed to be burnt off with those overnight temps. Started off with topwater and that never developed. Knowing that I knew what I was dealing with. I did throw a few moving baits but this was going to be a finesse kind of day. The lake was dead calm which for those who fish this lake it was going to be difficult. There were nickle size shad everywhere. Active smallmouth were found along the transition points from rock to mud. Side imaging really helped with focusing on those areas. The best baits were a damiki rig, drop shot Berkley Fishing flat worm, and max scent lil general. FINS Braids wind tamer braid was the line of choice. Overall it was a grind out there today but still managed fish. Water temps started off at 69 and rose to 78 by the time I pulled out. Not your typical September day for sure.

TTYL

Ken “Husker” O’Malley

Husker Outdoors

Waterwerks fishing team

Hi Dale – Got to the river early Saturday to avoid the heat and possible pleasure boaters. Caught a decent Walleye on a swimbait in low light conditions, also a handful of Smallmouth on Rapala DT -6 and Ned rigs. Overall fishing is tough now on a low river waiting for some good rain and falling air temps to get it the fall bite right.

2 bait shop guys messin around lol

Joe caught these this morning and another guy had 4

2 really nice fish 1 male 1 female

Hi Dale,

I have to say that even with this warm weather and warm water temps fishing for Salmon in my opinion has been the best it’s been in many years up and down the lakefront. Of course there are guys that have not gotten any but I know quite a few that have caught at least 1 and a few guys have caught up to 4 in one night. There have been a lot of hits and misses also. No special spoon or crankbait has been better than another they all have potential. Most active in the dark hours but there have been some caught during the day. 1 guy came in Friday afternoon got a couple lures went out made 2 casts and caught 1. Also had 1 guy caught 1 on spawn sacs. There are also Steelhead, Coho and Northerns in the mix.

Sheephead still good on Horseshoe when winds are out of the N/E. A few Steelhead and Salmon out there too. No reports of Perch or Smallmouth.

Have a great week!

Waukegan 09/16

Hi Dale –

A lot of really good signs appeared this weekend. A cold water current developed bringing in cool water in 60-75 feet. More importantly staging kings were there. I thought we would have an early run. But it looks like they are late this year. All we need is a little Southwest wind and the kings will be in the harbors. For now harbor fishing is slow. Waukegan has seen a fish here or there but most anglers are leaving empty handed. Those being taken have been on glow spoons very late at night or early morning. Usually the best time are sunrise or just after sundown. But it’s been that dead of night which has been better now.

As for open water fishing the lake trout bite was good in deeper waters 130 to 180 feet. 300 to 500 coppers with Glow spoons and downriggers near the bottom with 0 chrome dodgers and Jimmy Fly Mo rigs in green and white were best.

This Sunday night through Wednesday is supposed to be South and West wind with some rain and I think the fish will come in.

Scott Wolfe
312-933-0552

An unseasonably warm September has put typical patterns a bit off. With water temps working back into the low 70’s every afternoon due to air temps in 80’s not all species are reacting like we expect, some good, some not so good.

Bluegill: Very Good – Calm, warm days have allowed Bluegill anglers a great opportunity to target these fish. Either suspended outside coontail edges in 12-16’ of water or hunkering down around submerged wood in similar depths. Lots of action and some BIG SLABS of over 10” (10 5/8” largest measured) using leaf worms and beaver tails under slip floats.

Yellow Perch: Very Good – Perch to 12+” actively taking large fatheads and crawlers on 1/16 oz weedless jigs fished in cabbage beds of 8-12’. Others being found in flooded wood mixed with Gills.

Largemouth Bass: Very Good–Good – Top-water morning and evenings! Outside weed edges using jig and Sweet Beavers, Carolina rigging 7” worms, Wacky Worming and Drop-shotting. Spinnerbaits over and through cabbage flats. Musky activity in shallow weeds can push these fish out to deeper water.

Smallmouth Bass: Very Good-Good – Rock and gravel humps holding good numbers for anglers using drop-shot rigs. Some of the largest Smallies in the lakes will be found on the inside weed lines where the Musky will move to. These fish will hit top-water meant for Skies.

Musky: Good-Very Good – As mentioned above, Muskie moving into shallower weeds. Top-water baits, Fat Bastards, Whopper Ploppers, Flaptails have been working well. Bucktails with Colorado or fluted blades to ride high over weeds. Twitchbaits such as Cranes and small to medium (due to weight) gliders also scoring fish.

Crappies: Fair-Good – Hot bite hasn’t happened yet, but its coming. Most Crappies being caught on medium sized fatheads on slip-floats in 12-22’ water around wood or outside coontail, narrow leaf cabbage. Reports are fish not concentrated in most cases. Even those that are not many actively feeding. Casting and counting down 1/6 oz jigs with Bobby Garland Slab Slayers and Sugar Gliders to suspended fish also producing.

Northern Pike: Fair – A few reports from anglers targeting using Chubs or Suckers under slip-floats (using wire leaders) working. Others reporting some action using twitchbaits and spinnerbaits over weed beds. Action should pick up once waters cool.

Walleye: Fair – Best using black chubs or redtails along breaks just outside weeds. Gravel humps mostly producing small fish. Look for any type of deviation in bottom (pile of rocks, wood) to hold some fish. Definitely not as good as previous week. Moving out of full moon along with cooler waters should help by week’s end.

A couple more days of temps in 80’s, then mid-70’s by the weekend should help our Walleye and Pike fishing. Take advantage of the nice weather if panfish are your choice, fishing has been good. Not a lot of color change with the warm weather. Traffic on most lakes has been light (with a few exceptions), good time to be on the water.

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sports Shop
– Like us on FaceBook

Still slow trickle of salmon entering nwi tributaries water is low and fish are scattered cover some water for best shot at catching them. Spinners, skein, spawn saks baits to try.

Lake George in Hobart giving up crappie and will just get better as water gets cooler. Minnows fished around gazebos and around bridges best.

Pine lake in Laporte giving up crappie at night for boaters fishing under lights using minnows.

Still groups catfishing at night doing ok in burns ditch and deep river using skipjack, shad and golden roaches.

Just yesterday but it’s been numerous ones like this.
74 degrees

Catfish still doing well mostly on shrimp.
Lots of 5-8 lbs ones

Couple of nice bass

Musky seemed to be starting up. One guy got 2 in a row avg only about 36 inch

PLEASE NOTE I HAVE LOTS OF 6-12 inch suckers. On hand for bait., also works great for the monster river catfish.

Thanks John

The warm weather is not doing us any favors again. Crappie, bluegill, and walleye action is fair. The white bass shut down, temporarily