After the wild weather early last week, summer and summer fishing patterns settle in for this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report; plus a reminder on pink salmon.
Chau Nguyen emailed the photo at the top and this:
Dale,
My son Sebastián caught these over at Pi g Tom and was hoping he could get in the paper with these. Thank you.
Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters said some pink salmon are being caught, similar to that run of big and state-record pink salmon in 2022. He thought it would be good to remind people to be alert for a possible pink salmon and not just confuse them with an odd coho. Two years ago I made them Fish of the Year and it gave a chance to list some ways to help identify them. Go to https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/12/28/23529175/pink-salmon-earns-fish-of-the-year-humpback for that column.
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 Oct. 15, both dates inclusive. Daily 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.”
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.
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.
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
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:
. . .
Ponds are full of slop and prime to frog for bass. 7' 4" heavy StCroix rod and a Daiwa reel filled with 50 pound J-Braid will get them out of the slip.
Pete Lamar emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale,
Still water-lake and pond-fishing only this week. Unlike the local rivers and streams, all the rain did a lot of good for ponds. Most of the algae is gone, which makes finding open water a lot easier. There is a noticeable stench in the areas where the algae have died and are now decaying. But it’s not bothering the fish. And all the rain raised the water levels to the point where it is covering the aquatic vegetation; it’s now possible to fish subsurface and over the top of the weeds. There was a lot of variety in what was available: bluegills in what looked to be their spawning colors again; green sunfish; largemouths; even a few crappies (a pond I fish has plenty of them, but it’s rare to catch them in late July; usually more of a March/April catch). Not all of the bass were small.
Rob Abouchar messaged the photos above and below, and this:
Hi Dale,
After leaving the boat in Merrill to fish the Wisconsin River it was some relaxing shore fishing from the dock in island lake. Targeting panfish with a variety of artificial lures and red trout worms. The red trout worms were getting good bluegill and yellow bass. The bluegill seem to be on a second spawn. The best artificial baits were the venerable beetle spin and the odd looking squirmy worm both of which b I picked up at the rolling meadows swap meet last winter. Some small largemouth also hit the beetle spin. Bass also going on black and blue senko.
On the music front it was an all time great weekend for this musician. Friday at Reggies in Chicago as frank zappa said the mood was right the band was tight as Gozortenplat killed on stop #2 of 3 summer shows. Next up August 3rd in Kenosha at the peace tree festival. Saturday it was simply sublime playing music at lily lake resort at the gathering of the tribes. Midnite mile and uncle pigeon provided the soundtrack for a stupendous afternoon. Evening and sunset. The weekend was capped off when I learned my two songs have gone live on the music platforms for public consumption as they say. Miracles never cease...now maybe a wacky rigged miracle. Gotta hit the river!
Tight lines and good health!
Rob
And my Tuesday is made with the music report.
Mike Lyons emailed the photo below and this:
Hi Dale,
I really enjoyed the pictures of the kids today [last Wednesday] with some very nice fish, the next generation is showing us how to do it.
The bass have moved out into the cabbage and still hitting well on wacky worms, managed a few with the kayak when the wind lets me out.
All the best,
Mike Lyons
Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset. Click here for a preview that gives hope for a good year.
Art Frisell at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said walleye really large fatheads and crawlers around current areas and main lake points; white bass are a little higher in the water column than usual, try shallower than normal in 5-8 (maybe dropping back as water is drawn down); crappie are in 8-12, higher toward evening, slip-bobber rigs to adjust; catfish are excellent, especially in the same areas as the walleye, crawlers or stink bait.
Dave Kranz of Dave’s Bait, Tackle and Taxidermy in Crystal Lake and with his YouTube channel, Dave Kranz Living the wild outdoors, texted:
The high water in the Fox River and chain o lakes is definitely pushing fish into the channels and to the bank. Walleyes are being caught anywhere that there is current. Jig and an extra large fathead minnow or a hall of night crawler. Flicker shad’s in purple tiger or gold are working also.
. . .
Catfishing with the high water is still excellent!
NOTE: The lower river remains closed to boating. Check updates at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: Stratton Lock and Dam is open 8 a.m. to midnight through Sept. 30
Braidwood, Heidecke and LaSalle are open daily 6 a.m.-sunset.
Roger Jackson emailed the photo above and Arden Katz reported wacky-worming very effective for largemouth in 12-14 feet on the weed edges.
Capt. Dave Duwe emailed:
Delavan Lake 7/22/24 through 7/29/24
Fishing overall on Delavan remains very consistent.
Northern Pike fishing has been up and down. Earlier in the week you could catch as many pike as you had suckers. It did slow as the week went on however. The best success has come off of medium suckers fished on a lindy rig. The tight schools have dispersed so it’s been kind of hit or miss as you troll down the weedline. The best location has been west of Willow Point in 20 ft of water.
Largemouth bass remain on the deep weedline. They can be caught on nightcrawlers fished on a split shot rig or drop shotting 4 inch finesse worms. They haven’t been schooled as heavy as they were in past years. The key is to keep your boat moving to find the active fish. In years past you could sit on a school for 4 hours and catch them non-stop but that isn’t the case this year yet. The best location is by the Island or by the Village Supper Club.
Bluegills remain on the weedline in 15-20 ft of water. They can be caught on Thill slip bobbers with leaf worms or small panfish leeches. You need to keep moving to find the larger fish. My best success has been by Willow Point or by the Oriental boathouse or by the Assembly Park weedline. Bluegill fishing has not been as good as last week, however if you keep moving you should catch a nice limit.
Walleyes have remained consistent. The best action has been coming after dark. However, I’ve been catching fish during the daylight too. I’ve been averaging a legal fish every other trip. My best success has come off of leeches or nightcrawlers. I’ve been using lindy rigs with an 1/8 oz sinker or a split shot rigged nightcrawler.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Open daily through Labor Day, Sept. 2, sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Details are at https://www.wetlands-initiative.org/dixon-paddling-fishing.
POWERTON: Both bank and boat fishing are open. Hours are 6 a.m.-8 p.m. through Sept. 30.
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.
FOX RIVER
Vince Oppedisano emailed photo above and this:
Hey Dale,
Did I mention the rain won’t let up? The Fox River continues to run high and fast in Kane County. Water was a little murky over the weekend. Weeds are a problem but not as much as the week before. I stuck to one lure — crankbaits — to cover water and try to find fish. Almost every fish was caught along the banks up against rocks or concrete walls. Best fish pictured, it was cruising about a foot from the shoreline. Not finding much in the current right now.
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:
The high water in the Fox River and chain o lakes is definitely pushing fish into the channels and to the bank. Walleyes are being caught anywhere that there is current. Jig and an extra large fathead minnow or a hall of night crawler. Flicker shad’s in purple tiger or gold are working also .
. . .
Catfishing with the high water is still excellent!
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
I looked at the Fox a few times throughout the week. It stayed high the entire time and if it is dropping, it’s happening very slowly. Clarity was pretty bad too-not worth fishing. Yesterday evening I was able to see a submerged rock, so I guess that’s finally improving, although slowly. Tributaries may be the better bet for the next few days.
Capt. Dave Duwe emailed:
Lake Geneva Fishing Report 7/22/24 through 7/29/18
Largemouth bass can be caught by Maytag Point or Covenant Harbor Point. The best depth is 16-18 ft of water. The best approach is drop shotting 4 inch Chompers with a one foot dropper. I fish my dropper on 8 lb monofilament fished on a medium light spinning rod.
Bluegill fishing has been good. The bluegills are in 18-20 ft of water. Look for the fish by Gage Marina or by Elgin Club. The best bait is trout worms fished on a split shot rig. You want to position the split shot about 1 foot from the hook and try to keep the worm 6 inches above bottom. The schools are pretty big so a good graph is essential.
Rock bass fishing has been slower than in years past. I’m not sure if the depth is different or if there are just less of them than previously available. The best approach is a split shot rigged nightcrawler. Look for the fish in 12-15 ft of water by South Shore Club or by Knollwood.
Walleyes are biting during the nighttime hours. Troll medium diving crankbaits by Trinkes or Knollwood for the most action. Work a depth of 15 ft of water and have the baits run 10-12 ft down.
Lake Trout fishing has been very good in the main lake basin in 108-120 ft of water at first light. I prefer fishing early in the morning as the trout are suspended and easier to catch than when they are tight to the bottom. Use down riggers with chrome/blue or chrome/green spoons for the most action. Put the baits approximately 20-30 ft behind the down riggers. Due to the excessive pleasure boat traffic the floating weeds have been an issue you need to work around.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063
Guide Mike Norris texted the photo above and emailed this:
Fishing Report – 7/22/2024
By Mike Norris
Big Green Lake: Summer boat traffic is peaking, and smallmouth bass fishing slows after 9:00 a.m. Getting out and fishing by 6 a.m. or earlier is best. Working jig and pig combos, drop shot rigs, or live bait along the deep weed line is your best bet for catching bass after 9 a.m. Walleye fishing is good at the Heidel and Baptist Bar, but again, go early in the morning. Try working a jig and half crawler along the drop-offs. Bluegills are still shallow. I haven’t seen many in the deeper cribs. Lake trout fishing is excellent right now. Try jigging for them with a 3/8 oz. rattle spoon down in 120 feet of water. White bass fishing is slow.
Fox Lake: The water is still one-half to one foot higher than normal and dirty. Nonetheless, crappies are still biting and can be found drifting with a split shot and minnow out in the basin. Work for largemouth bass around the islands with crankbaits with rattles. Walleyes are biting early in the morning and later in the day, where rocks exist along the tips of the islands.
Roger Jackson texted the photo above and Arden Katz said numbers of smallmouth bass were outstanding in the Mink River/Rowley's Bay are ("Almost every cast.") Then they fished and caught few smallmouth but much bigger ones around Ellison Park in 6-12 feet with Howie tubes, Ned rigs or drop-shotting.
Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset.
George Peters emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale, river coming down after flood. Fish close to banks where water is slowest. Minnow baits working near shallow rocks. P.S. good luck to Alex and Bret they make the Kankakee fisherman like me proud. G. Peters
Larry Jennings emailed the photo above and this on Wednesday:
Just got back from Lake Erie, a bit slow but we were able to get a few. Gold Blades for the Walleye, minnows for the Perch
Funny what a bit slow means on Lake Erie.
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Good morning.
Water temps are in the 70s, so Perch have slowed down. Smallmouth still good hitting live pond crabs. No King reports yet but Joe was casting this morning so we’ll know soon lol. No Steelhead reports. Sheephead good with north winds on crayfish. Have a great week!
Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters said they fished outside of the R4 in 120-130 and caught coho, steelhead, lake trout and 22-pound king on Tuesday. from 30 to the bottom, "Everything is working, just have to get it right." Out of North Point, they are fishing for kings and coho in 85-135, straight out. "Now is a good time for kings on The Hill." Lakers are out deeper, past 200. Wire Dipsy's are best now.
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.
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset.
Guide Mike Mladenik of bigsmallmouthbass.com emailed:
Fishing on the Menominee River has been consistent. With the water level dropping and clarity increasing, conditions are ideal. Smallmouth bass have been aggressive. Depending on the day, swimbaits, soft plastics, and topwater lures have proven effective. Early in the day, smallmouth bass feed on baitfish, but by midday, they shift to the rocks to prey on crayfish. This pattern is expected to persist throughout August, which is typically a prime month for topwater fishing.
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
Even in the midst of summer, things can sometimes be hit or miss!
A cooling off one day (surface temps dropped 4° one night), high sky’s (expected not necessarily welcome), changing winds, full moon, etc.
With fishing it’s always something though at least in the summer there is more consistency.
Largemouth Bass: Good-Fair
Seems to be a decline in action and size of late. Typical weed bites, using wacky worms or drop shotting craw imitations. Live baiting using leeches and crawlers on 1/16 ounce weedless jigs as well as some top water action in the evenings.
Smallmouth Bass: Good
Possibly a bit better on some lakes than largemouth. Deep rock humps using drop shot with plastic craws and minnows or Ned rigging has produced some dandy fish of late in the 19-to-21-inch range this past week. Work tubes along coontail edges of 14 feet as well. Have a rod set up with a walking the dog type bait on calm days, ready for action as schools chase minnows on the surface.
Northern Pike: Good
Best on lakes with expansive weed flats working spinner baits over weed tops. Swim baits, and chatter baits also producing. Reports of some eaters, but not much on larger fish.
Walleye: Good/ Fair
Had some good shallow water (less than 6 foot) walleye action late in the week. Walleye feeding on 2-inch perch. Red tails and large fatheads were the ticket. On deeper rock big leeches or red tail scored 1/8-ounce jigs in 14 to 22 feet of water.
Bluegill: Good
Up to their old tricks by following baits meant for other fish to up to the boat. Tiny spinners like number zero mepps, beetle spins or 1 inch twister tails to “draw them in”. Ultralight rods to cast ultralight baits and enjoy.
Crappie: Good
Picking up nice crappies of 10 to 12 inches over tall weed patches shaking medium to large fathead minnows on 1/32-to-1/16-ounce jigs. Slip floats with the same set just at weed top depth or casting Charlie Bee’s or Road Runners over the same.
Yellow Perch: good to fair
Not a lot of reports, mostly anglers surprised to find larger perch of 10 to 11 inches plus taking 4-inch wacky worms meant for bass. A half crawler on a 1/16-ounce jig is always a good search bait.
Musky: Fair
Not a lot of reports at this shop. Most from anglers using bucktails over 8 to 12-foot weeds in the mornings and Topwater tail baits like Fat Bastards or Whopper Poppers in the evening.
A little cool down mid-week combined with a full moon may slow things a bit, but a warm-up by the weekend looks to bring the bite back up. Early morning and evenings will be best while midweek may see better action late mornings.
OUR SECOND EVER BARN SALE at 92388 County Highway J and Woodruff will be held August 2, from 7am to 5pm,
August 3, from 7am to 5pm and
August 4, 7am to 3pm.
We have to make some room for some changes to the business and it’s just time to clean out the old bait shop closet. They’ll be deals on Rods, reels, overstock tackle, fishing line, Shanties (both flip and hub style) clothing, footwear, ice electronics, ice augers, discontinued Saint Croix Rods. Check it out! lots of good inventory at sale prices to move on out
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Perch action pretty good for most fishing the doughnut east of portage all the way to Mt. Baldy 20 to 38ft of water using baby golden roaches and regular fatheads.
Salmon and trout in 80 to 100ft straight out of portage is a lil slow as of last week but water is good and cold down 55ft to the bottom so fishing should pick up.
Bluegill action on Loomis lake in valpo for boaters using crickets and red wigglers
Perch action so steady Slez’s Bait Shop has been opening before 5 a.m. most days.
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR's report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
John Honiotes at Boondocks texted the photos above and below, and said that highlights in the last week included a 6.4-pound walleye, a young man fishing the first time catching a good fish and a 4.4-pound largemouth bass.
Site hours are 6 a.m.-10 p.m. through Oct. 31.
Boondocks is open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Click here for the southern Lake Michigan reports from the Wisconsin DNR.
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said silver fish are in 70-80, perch are scattered from 13-30 (the shallow when the water dramatically dropped into the 50s).
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
Water levels are starting to recede. Walleye action has been good in the river and on Lake Poygan. The bluegill and crappie bite is picking up. Look for current breaks and submerged wood.