The delayed arrival of ice fishing is here, at least in northern areas, and leads this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
I thought the photo (at the top) Ken "Husker" O'Malley emailed was the apt one to lead this week's sprawling raw-file MFR.
LAKEFRONT PERCH
Arden Katz said perch were being caught at the North Slip (85th); he used Mini-Mites and caught 10 keepers out of 50 perch; but said those using crappie rigs and minnows seemed to do better with bigger perch.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Time is flying and our season is quickly coming to an end.
Based on the weather Perch are the topic of choice now and have been slowly moving into the fall/winter areas. Navy Pier and the Slip have been off and on but getting better every day. As with Perch they turn off and on throughout the day so you just have to be out and moving around. There have been reports of some good catches as well as little to none. Perch rigs, wether it’s a regular crappie rig, a perch pounder or perch slayer with minnows have been the bait of choice so far. Some plastics working as well.
. . .
Our season is quickly coming to an end. Based on the weather temps for this week, the shop will be open Tuesday and Wednesday 6am to noon or earlier we will be closed Thursday and Friday we will be open Saturday and Sunday 6am to noon give or take.
Please call first to check.
773-271-2838Thank you
Have a great week!
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
It’s all perch now the bite the last couple days has been good for most groups in the slips and up and down the river for boat fishermen.
When the wind allows boat fisherman out on the main lake in 55 to 60ft of water straight out from Gary light some perch have been caught must move around slowly and get on top of a pod of them.
Slez’s Bait Shop is open 5 to 5 all winter long. We have the goods.
He's referring to the Calumet system by the river.
PIER PASSES
Pier passes may be bought at Park Bait, Bridgeport Bait and Tackle and Fishtech in Morton Grove. Pier passes become effective Friday, Nov. 15. The $10 pier passes allow legal access to select piers at Jackson Park, Burnham, DuSable, Diversey, Belmont and Montrose harbors.
CHICAGO PARKING PASSES
Park Bait, Bridgeport Bait and Tackle and Fishtech in Morton Grove 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
LAKEFRONT PERCH
AREA LAKES
Rob Abouchar messaged the photo above and this:
Hi Dale
Before the ice came last week bass were hitting golden roach minnow under a float on a Google eye jig in 4 feet of water. The ice should be fit in a couple days but as always use caution at all times. Looking forward to getting the auger out and some first ice panfishing.
On the music front we are into the Zappadan time with the zappafest shows next Friday in Chicago and Saturday in Milwaukee looming large. Last Saturday the conscious rockers reggae band had a fantastic performance at main street outfitters in Wauconda. The crowd packed the place and the band responded with a great set. We made a good contact for future gigs in Wauconda possibly down by bangs lake next summer.
Tight lines and good health! Rob
And my Tuesday is made with the music report.
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photos at the very top and the one above, and this:
Hey Dale,
Here’s a recap from this past weeks fishing.
Area lakes,
It’s tradition on Thanksgiving morning to either hunt or fish. Open water opportunities still present, it meant grabbing the bass rods and taking a drive down to the pits. I had to clean off ice on the guides, but it was worth it. Working a jig and max scent chigger craw along the ledges adjacent to flats with green weeds produced a few fish. The smaller bass were tapping the jig before setting the hook, but the better fish were just gently picking it up so line watching was key. Water temps are down to 43-44, and with the extended forecast, skim ice will be in the near future.
Here’s an ice update from today’s scouting. Lakes that were open Saturday locked up. Those winds finally decided to ease during overnight hours into Sunday. The larger lakes don’t have any kind of safe ice yet. The shorelines only took one hit for the spud to go through. The smaller lakes and bays had better ice but still needs time. The wind protected ponds that were locked on Saturday have anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Those will be ready to fish later in week. For now it’s time to fine tune the equipment and get ready to scratch that itch.
TTYL
Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team
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:
I've had reports of ice on ponds, backwaters and bays. Up to 3 1/2 inches on places as of Monday. I am sure by the weekend places will have 4-6 inches. Check out Dave's Bait and Tackle facebook page for daily updates. Live bait (wax worms and Spikes) should work well for the panfish. Medium or Large golden roach minnows for bass and pike. Northern suburbs are always colder than Chicago and south suburbs. West of the Fox River there is always better ice.
Pete Lamar emailed the photos above and below, this:
Hi Dale,
No prospect of fishing tonight, so here is a Kane County report for last week. We had a narrow window, maybe one or two warm days before Thanksgiving. Late November bass fishing will never be described as fast, but I did hook four and land two largemouths in a short outing on a Kane Co. F.P. pond. I let a good-sized yellow streamer drift with the wind under a strike indicator and the fish were waiting in a bottleneck in the pond.
My daughter is reading Hamlet in school and suggested I name any fish I catch after characters in the play. I told her if I caught different species they would be Laertes and Hamlet. But since both fish were largemouths, you’re looking at Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The fish are, unlike their namesakes, still alive.
That last paragraph grabbed me.
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Closed.
CHAIN O'LAKES AREA
Kyle Tepper at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said half a dozen guys Echo Lake in Burlinton, some are hitting the local ponds and the channels. Within days, some of the smaller lakes will be thick enough for ice fishing.
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: Stratton Lock and Dam closed through April 30.
COOLING LAKES
Braidwood, Heidecke and LaSalle are closed.
DOWNSTATE
LAKE SHELBYVILLE: Allen Shander emailed the photo above and this:
Dale, hope all is well, was down at Shelbyville spillway Friday Saturday and Sunday, 5 guys 37 total fish. My largest was just under 37 and my buddy Kyle Randstrom landed a solid 41. All in all a great weekend. 2 of my 8 fish caught on rapala husky jerk bait blue chrome. All rest on rapala DT 8 fire tiger color. Hopefully get out on the big pond soon for some perch. Keep ya posted. Tight lines.
Allen Shander
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed.
POWERTON: Bank fishing reopens Dec. 23.
EMIQUON PRESERVE: With waterfowl season, Randy Smith, Illinois River project manager for The Nature Conservancy, emailed:
Fishing is still open, but does not start until 12 noon during waterfowl season. Waterfowl hunting stops at noon. 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: Bank fishing allowed after 1 p.m., Oct. 26-Dec. 24.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris (www.comecatchsmallmouth.com) emailed:
Fishing Report – 12/1/2024
By Mike Norris
Big Green Lake: The first sub-freezing cold air of the fall season arrived late last week, and it is a time of transition from soft to hard water on most lakes here in south-central Wisconsin. Beyer’s Cove is iced over, but the thickness of the ice is under two inches. Dartmouth Bay is still open, but slush ice covers the launch ramp. With nighttime temps dipping into the teens and daytime temps just below freezing, it will be a mid-week or later before we have safe, walkable ice in both the areas mentioned above. Hoerner’s Landing and Dodge Memorial Park boat ramps are ice-free, and launching a boat is still possible for anglers who want to rig sucker minnows for smallmouth during the day and slow troll crankbaits for walleye in the evening out of the main lake.
HEIDECKE LAKE
Closed.
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
LAKEFRONT
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Time is flying and our season is quickly coming to an end.
Based on the weather Perch are the topic of choice now and have been slowly moving into the fall/winter areas. Navy Pier and the Slip have been off and on but getting better every day. As with Perch they turn off and on throughout the day so you just have to be out and moving around. There have been reports of some good catches as well as little to none. Perch rigs, wether it’s a regular crappie rig, a perch pounder or perch slayer with minnows have been the bait of choice so far. Some plastics working as well.
Steelhead still in and around the harbors on a variety of baits but the hair jigs and wax worms still seem to be working the best. A few nice Lake Trout (lakers) caught in and around the areas as well as a few Northerns.
Our season is quickly coming to an end. Based on the weather temps for this week, the shop will be open Tuesday and Wednesday 6am to noon or earlier we will be closed Thursday and Friday we will be open Saturday and Sunday 6am to noon give or take.
Please call first to check.
773-271-2838Thank you
Have a great week!
SALMON SNAGGING: 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
Closed.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN
Staff at D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop said ice is still dicey but Cherokee Lake is dependable mainly for bluegill; Monona Bay will be possible by the weekend.
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
MAZONIA
Closed, except Monster remains open all year.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
Looks like its “On like Donkey Kong”!
We have fishable ice on some smaller lakes and bays (2-3 ½”) and building! Bay across from shop locked up overnight! All we really needed was wind to stop long enough to let ice form. As much as we all complained about that biting wind this past week, it helped super cool the water so it was ready to freeze
Further north in Mercer, reports of 4+” of ice, we should see lots of access by this coming weekend.
Caution is still advised, but the outlook is for a good stretch of ice building weather. Snow flurries mid-week should be light and dry enough to not latch onto ice. As always for early ice, spud bars, creepers, float suits (vest), rope and friend are advised.
Not a lot of reports from anglers. Staffer, Bret Bender was doing well casting from shore for shallow Walleyes, but as he says, once the cast starts clinking, time to go ice dinking! Nolan Waltz and his father, Jeff hit a smaller Vilas Co. Lake on Sunday and found 3+” of good ice as well as a couple Pike over 30” (both C&R). I’m sure the reports will be pouring in over the weekend.
This weekend is our 15th Annual Ice Fishing Extravaganza. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec 6th-8th. There will be deals storewide, add-ons, raffles, free smoked pork sandwiches (Sat only). Best chance to see our huge selection of flip-shacks on display! Stop in and take advantage of our best show deals ever.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sports Shop
– Like us on FaceBook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
It’s all perch now the bite the last couple days has been good for most groups in the slips and up and down the river for boat fishermen.
When the wind allows boat fisherman out on the main lake in 55 to 60ft of water straight out from Gary light some perch have been caught must move around slowly and get on top of a pod of them.
Few steelhead being caught in salt creek and lil cal on voodoo jigs tipped with waxworms.
Slez’s Bait Shop is open 5 to 5 all winter long. We have the goods.
SHABBONA LAKE
Through January 31, winter site hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Boondocks is closed.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said steelhead are in the river, mostly smaller ones.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:'
The river is iced over. I haven’t seen anyone venturing out on the bayous or lake yet.
