Artificial Lure here, bringing you today's boots-on-the-shore fishing report for Lake Michigan and the Chicago lakefront, Thursday, November 20th, 2025.
We woke up to classic late-fall conditions in Chicago: thick cloud cover, a cool high near **52°F**, and a light southeast breeze—steady at about 10 mph, keeping wave action manageable around 2 to 4 feet in the early morning, calming down closer to midday according to the National Weather Service. Water temps near Winthrop Harbor are hovering just above **43°F**—brisk enough to keep fish metabolisms slow but still trigger late-season feeding[abc7chicago.com][watertemps.com][NWS Marine Forecast].
**Sunrise** hit at 6:54 this morning, with sunset predicted for 4:23 this evening. Fishingreminder says the major bite windows today are early—**6:02–8:02 AM**—and again right before dark, **6:16–8:16 PM**. That matches what we see every November: your best shot is sliding into the harbor before first light or coming out just as the streetlights flicker on.
This week, it's all about the **salmonids** and lake-run trout pushing into urban harbors and along the breakwalls. Reports out of Montrose, Burnham, and Diversey harbors say the **coho and chinook salmon** run is winding down, but there have been some solid morning hook-ups on spawn sacs under floats, brightly colored spoons, and even twitching crankbaits across pier heads. A few **steelhead** and **lake trout** are mixing in—the steelhead especially favoring an overcast day and brighter metallic spoons or little jigs tipped with waxworms near warm water discharges. Fish are scattered: you might need to move and change tactics, so pack both flashy and natural colors, especially when water gets murky after a north wind rolls through.
On the bass front, inside the harbors and river system, **smallmouth and largemouth bass** are still chewing but moving slower. Locals have had luck slow-rolling ¼ oz ned rigs, working small suspending jerkbaits along marina corners, and bouncing swimbaits or tubes around current seams—especially where shad are gathering late in the year. If you’re game for a cold-blooded bruiser, a big slow-rolled glide bait can move a stubborn November bass, as seen in recent catches with 7" Molix Glide Baits on Michigan lakes. Think a slow, steady retrieve right along a drop or weed edge, and don’t be afraid to experiment—late-fall bass like a challenge[Extreme.Outdoorsmen/YouTube][instagram.com/molix_official].
**Perch** are still a wildcard—some mornings see buckets filled near Navy Pier or the pilings inside Burnham, usually on live minnows or small bits of shrimp. When they're finicky, it pays to go finesse: use lighter line, maybe a small feather jig tipped with waxie.
For **bait and lure selection**, here’s what’s working best:
- **Spawn sacs**, skein, or waxworms for steelhead and trout.
- **Bright spoons** (chartreuse/silver, orange, or classic gold) or 3–4" crankbaits for salmonids.
- **Swimbaits**, ned rigs, and jerkbaits for bass—subtle colors if the water stays clear, chartreuse or loud profiles after a blow.
- **Live minnows** or small jigging spoons near pilings and breakwalls for perch.
**Two hot spots to hit today:**
- **Montrose Harbor:** Best bet for lingering salmon and trout, with solid dawn action off the pier heads.
- **Burnham Harbor piers:** Good numbers of mixed trout and some perch, especially near the marina fingers and deeper pilings on a calm morning.
Top tip: If the water’s cloudy after recent wind, switch to baits with rattle or chartreuse accents—those fish will key in on vibration and color more than sight.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Michigan report with Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest bite info and stay one cast ahead of the crowd. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
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