Lake Michigan Chicago Fishing Report Today

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Friday, October 10th Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report—let’s get you dialed in for a day on the water.

Sunrise came just before six, and sunset’s coming up at 5:49 PM—so you’ve got nearly 12 hours of daylight to work with. Tides4Fishing details the morning’s first low at 4:23 AM, followed by a high at 10:36 AM, then another low near 4:48 PM and a final high just before midnight. We’re sitting on a **“high” tidal coefficient of 83**, meaning tidal movement is healthy—look for lots of current around structure and pier-heads, and remember more current often equals hotter bites.

Weather’s brisk but classic October: National Weather Service reports southwest winds building 15–25 knots, putting waves at 2 to 4 feet by midday. Cloud cover will be increasing with the chance of a quick sprinkle, which usually gets those predators a little less shy. Dress in layers and bring your rain shell—you’ll want to stay mobile as winds swing westerly into the evening.

Water’s cooling; Lake Michigan temp off Chicago was **40.8°F as of early yesterday**, so expect migratory fish pressing shallow, especially at dawn and dusk.

Fish activity’s seasonally strong. River reports from further north say the major bite window is from 6 to 8 a.m., with secondary pops around lunch and just before sunset (Buc’s Fishing Report from October 8 notes salmon and trout patterns holding in deeper pools during daylight). Locally, anglers are reporting Coho and King salmon still staging around the river mouths, with some Brown trout mixed in. South End forums mention bonus steelhead on the edges, particularly after sundown when things calm down. Perch have started to move into tighter, shallower schools—especially near Navy Pier and Montrose—but they’re picky with all the wind chop.

Lure selection: coho and kings are still hitting spoons (Wonderbread, Silver Streak Orange Crush, and red/gold combos have put fish in the cooler). Stickbaits like Smithwick Rogues work well in the low light hours, and for pier or river-bound anglers, skein under a float remains a top trick. For perch, classic crappie rigs tipped with fathead minnows or cut shiners have been steady, but folks are also scoring using soft plastic minnow imitations bounced along the bottom.

Hot spots to circle today:

- **Montrose Harbor**: Salmon right at the mouth at the crack of dawn, with bonus brown trout and steelhead as the sun comes up.

- **Burnham Harbor/Navy Pier**: Perch starting to show along the walls, and urban anglers are picking up a surprisingly strong mixed bag (coho, whitefish, even the odd smallmouth).

- If you’re headed south, try the stretch from 63rd Street to Calumet—especially later in the day as bait and fish stack near outflows on a falling tide.

Couple local pro-tips: troll slow—salmon and trout are starting to sulk with the rapid cooldown, so keep things in the strike zone longer. For perch, work the jig slow and low, and if you’re not g

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Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report for Wednesday, October 8th, 2025. Let’s get you dialed in for a big fall day on the water.

Cooler early-October temps are pushing the **fall salmon run** into high gear. Right now, **Chinook and coho salmon** are surging into the city harbors—Montrose, Diversey, and Burnham are great bets at the crack of dawn or during that evening golden hour. After last night’s north winds, conditions look ideal for working **spoons, crankbaits, and skein or spawn sacs** under a float near the pier heads and harbor mouths. That stacked-up baitfish is bringing the big ones close, with prime hookups happening when the water’s slightly stained, so don’t shy away from a little chop. Sunrise today is just after 6:50 AM, and sunset will dip around 6:20 PM, giving you a full slab of daylight to work the tides according to that reliable solunar table—major bite windows around 6:00 to 8:00 AM, with minor flurries in the late afternoon and at dusk.

Steelhead are making midday appearances, especially on those overcast spells—switch to **bright spoons** or tip your **jigs** with waxies if you see ‘em rolling, and don’t overlook the warmwater discharges as the nights drop cooler. There’s also a handful of lake trout prowling the breakwalls; slow-roll natural-colored **swimbaits** or bounce heavier **blade baits** in 15–30 feet, especially if the lake calms as forecasted.

Inside the harbors and up the Chicago River, **smallmouth and largemouth bass** are in hearty feed-up mode, chasing shad into the current seams and tucked-in marina corners. **Ned rigs, jerkbaits, and small swim jigs** are all scoring bites. The **perch** bite: still a bit finicky, but a calm morning with a slip bobber, live minnow, or even shrimp bits near weed-lines and pilings can fill a bucket fast if you stick it out.

Weather-wise, the National Weather Service has a small craft advisory in effect through Wednesday afternoon—expect north-northeast winds 15 to 25 knots, partly cloudy skies, and waves running 3 to 6 feet. Things will mellow out by late afternoon, so watch for a window to fish just as the wind calms, which tends to fire up shoreline predators sniffing for scattered baitfish.

Hot spots to hit today:

- **Montrose Harbor**: Legendary for salmon this week—lots of big coho reports at first and last light.

- **Belmont Harbor**: Good multi-species action, especially for steelhead and roaming bass.

- **31st Street Beach**: Active perch and the occasional trout, especially on a stained-water morning.

- **Diversey Harbor mouth**: Prime zone when the wind’s up, especially drifting skein for bonus kings.

Local anglers are pulling mixed bags right now—limits of salmon for the lucky ones, double-digit perch hauls on the right weather, and bonus steelhead for those grinding brighter spoons or working the river mouths on a cloudy day. If you’re targeting walleye or bass, trolling **Indiana-blade harnesses** an

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Good morning Chicago anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Lake Michigan fishing report for Sunday, October 5th, 2025. The city finally feels like fall, and with that crisp air rolling off the lake, fishing’s heating up big time.

Sunrise hit just after 6:50 am this morning, setting the stage for a full day of action. Sunset’s coming at about 6:30 pm, so you’ve got a comfortable window to get lines wet. Weather’s in our favor: mostly sunny skies and a light haze, temps warming into the low 60s by mid-morning, and stiff south winds building from 10 to 20 knots—so keep an eye on those afternoon gusts. Waves are running in the 1 to 3 foot range near shore, building as the day rolls on, especially into the evening with 2 to 4 footers expected, so plan accordingly if you’re taking a small craft, and always respect the lake’s mood, especially toward dusk with those wind chops.

This week the big news is the fall salmon run—cooler October temps have pushed schools of chinook and coho salmon right into local harbors and river mouths. Early risers at Montrose, Diversey, and Burnham harbors are hooking up at first light. The most effective setups remain bright casting spoons, crankbaits with some noise, and for the natural presentation crowd, float rigs with skein or spawn sacs drifted just outside the breakwalls. After any north blow, watch for bait to stack up along the pier heads—these are classic “strike windows.”

Steelhead are showing too, especially on overcast mornings. Anglers scoring have been using flashy spoons and occasionally waxworms tipped on small jigs. When the air chills, steelhead gravitate toward warmwater discharges and creek mouths—look for subtle surface rolls as your clue.

Down deep, a few lake trout are prowling the rocks and breakwalls. Cover water with heavy blade baits, or slow-rolled swimbaits in 15-30 feet, especially when the lake lays down mid-morning.

Inside the harbors and river, the bass bite is picking up. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are keyed in on shad schools. Ned rigs, jerkbaits, and small swim jigs are drawing strikes along marina corners and anywhere you find current seams. The perch bite’s improved a bit—the trick is an early start on calm days, fishing live minnows or bits of shrimp close to weed edges and pilings.

A few area clubs finished their last bass tournaments of the season on nearby St. Clair, with big smallmouth up to 6 pounds caught mostly on tubes and drop-shot rigs in 8 to 12 feet. On Chicago’s nearshore, you should downsize baits for pressured fish and focus around deeper docks, fences, and transitions where bait’s gathered.

Hot spots today: Montrose Harbor is seeing the strongest early chinook bite, especially around the horseshoe pier. Burnham Harbor is good all-around, with coho and steelhead roaming the mouth—target just outside the commercial slips at sunrise. If you want consistent bass action, hit the Chicago River near Wolf Point and along the channel edges at Diversey.

Best baits

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This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Michigan, Chicago fishing report for Saturday, October 4, 2025.

Sunrise hit at 6:48, welcoming anglers with a downright balmy October morning—near record highs today, folks, with readings pushing upper 80s and just a whisper of south wind, waves a gentle 1–2 feet. The lake’s water temp is holding steady around 53°F, which means that fall bite is switching on, but the unseasonal heat does have fish acting a bit squirrelly.

Salmon are the headline as always this time of year. Chinook and coho have started their run into Montrose, Diversey, and Burnham harbors. The word on the docks: first light and late evening are prime time, with spoons and crankbaits leading the charge for hookups. Local regulars have been mixing it up—casting wide wobbling silver and chartreuse spoons, and floating skein or spawn sacs beneath bobbers, especially where the north wind stirs up bait. There’s been a handful of solid coho and a few hefty chinook pulled just off Burnham’s pier heads at dawn, but the run is still uneven due to stubbornly warm, clear conditions. If you’re looking for numbers, patience pays—expect scattered salmon rather than a full-on blitz.

Steelhead are showing up when overcast rolls in. If you spot some cloud cover, tie on the brightest spoon you’ve got, or tip a jig with a waxworm and jig it along the warmwater discharges. Lake trout are a rare but rewarding find patrolling breakwalls and deeper structure. Slow-rolling swimbaits or bumping heavy blade baits on the bottom in 15–30 feet when the lake lays down are your best bets.

Bass anglers have something to cheer about too. Both smallmouth and largemouth are feeding hard on shad inside the harbors and up the Chicago River. Try current seams and marina corners with ned rigs, jerkbaits, or small swimbaits—especially where you’ve got stained water after a windy blow. Last evening, more than a few buckets got stuffed with chunky smallmouth around the breakwater pilings at Monroe Harbor.

Perch have been hit or miss this week. The best action is early and calm, just after sunrise. Target the weed edges and pilings with live minnows or shrimp bits. Some folks found schools off the north slips but reported they had to move around to stay on the fish.

Best baits right now:

- For salmon: glow spoons, chartreuse or silver crankbaits, skein or spawn sacs.

- For steelhead: bright spoons, waxworm-tipped jigs.

- For lake trout: heavy blade baits, white paddle-tail swimbaits.

- For bass: ned rigs, flukes, small swim jigs, and jerkbaits in shad patterns.

- For perch: live minnows, small shrimp pieces.

Hot spots to check out:

- Montrose Harbor: salmon at dawn in deeper water, some huge smallmouth in the corners.

- Burnham Harbor: coho staging at the pier heads, perch off pilings, especially right after sunrise.

- Monroe Harbor: breakwater for smallmouth, backside pilings for perch.

- Diversey Harbor: best shot at mixed bag action—bass, stray trout, and the occasional co

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Chicago wake up, this is Artificial Lure with your on-the-water Lake Michigan fishing report for Friday, October 3rd, 2025. Local sunrise this morning hit at 5:56 AM, with sunset coming at 5:54 PM—meaning a full twelve hours to chase that dream catch before dusk. Tides are characteristically mild: low at 4:36 AM, peaking to high tide at 10:53 AM, then dipping again at 5:07 PM with a last high tide at 11:29 PM. We’re seeing a tidal coefficient of 67, squarely in the “average” fall range. Not much current but still enough movement for those feeding windows, especially in close to structure according to tides4fishing.com.

Weather-wise, the National Weather Service says we’ve got a real treat: gentle southwest winds flipping southeast midday, topping out at 5 to 10 knots, and waves only 1 to 2 feet—spot-on conditions for almost any craft and a welcome break from this week’s chop. Skies will be mostly sunny and air temps comfortable, ideal for a proper autumn bite.

The fish activity has definitely started to swing towards classic early fall patterns. Out on the cribs, we’re hearing about steady catches of coho salmon and occasional kings, especially at first light and just after dusk. Steelhead are skirting the structure in 20–40 feet of water, running hard on spoons in blue/silver or orange/gold, and don’t be afraid to downsize your offering. For the coho, thin-blade spoons, flashy dodgers and flies run 30-60 feet down off downriggers are producing the best, particularly near the Wilson Ave. and Montrose cribs. Word through the marinas is that meat rigs and herring strips are still working if you’re on a boat. From shore, try casting Cleos or Vibrax spinners early, especially near Belmont Harbor and Navy Pier.

BassForecast’s 10-day bass outlook says Midwest largemouth and smallmouth are lighting up in the shallows at first light, biting best on topwater baits like poppers or walking baits around riprap and weed edges, especially before 9 AM. If the sun gets high, switch to jigs or finesse plastics and target docks, breakwalls, and submerged rock piles.

Best bets for hotspots today:

- The north side’s Montrose Harbor for coho, steelhead, and kings, both from shore and trolling near the crib.

- The breakwalls between Burnham and 31st Street harbors for mixed bag action on browns, smallmouth bass, and occasional perch.

- Jackson Park’s inner and outer lagoons are heating up for largemouth, particularly on topwater at dawn or weightless paddle-tail swimbaits midday.

Perch reports have been thin, but if you’re after them, work minnows or small soft plastics along the bottom near the mouth of the Chicago River or 95th Street.

As for bait and lures, here’s your rundown:

- For salmon and trout: Spoons in orange/silver, glow patterns for low light, or try flies behind small dodgers.

- For bass: Topwaters at first light, then move to finesse plastics (dropshot or Ned rig) as the day brightens.

- For perch: Live minnows are the ticket, but don’t neglect

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Alright, Chicago anglers, it’s October 1st, 2025, and Artificial Lure here with your Lake Michigan fishing report, plus a little love for our inland waters and rivers around town. Let’s dive in.

Weather’s looking steady for today—most folks launching from Chicago’s harbors or stretching out to Wi-Fi hotspots like Montrose, Belmont, or Wilmette can expect mostly cloudy skies with east winds holding around 15 knots and waves running 3 to 5 feet, but settling to 2 to 4 feet by mid-morning thanks to the National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville marine forecast. Not exactly glassy, but not a blowout either. If you’re heading farther south toward Burns Harbor or up into Michigan, conditions are mellower: east winds 10 to 15 knots, waves 1 to 3 feet, and partly sunny to mostly cloudy. No tidal action to worry about on the Big Lake—it’s all about wind direction and speed out here.

Sunrise was at 6:51am today, with sunset set for 6:29pm. That’s about 11 and a half hours of daylight, plenty of time to get after it.

Fish activity? Well, October is prime time for variety. Over on Michigan’s Big Manistee River, just a few hours north, anglers are seeing everything from steelhead to brown trout, and yes, even the odd smallmouth or pike—and Chicago lakefront regulars are reporting similar mixed bags. According to local forum chatter on Windy City Fishing, there’s been decent bites on smallmouth bass at spots like the mouth of the Des Plaines River, with fish hitting topwater as recently as late September—think wake baits and even the occasional swimbait. One angler mentioned landing a fat 15-16” bass on a mid-afternoon topwater plug. Perch action’s also picking up, especially farther north up the lake in Michigan, with solid catches on live minnows.

Best lures and bait right now? Let’s talk bass first. The consensus from YouTube’s fall bass pros and local experience is this: Go big or go small. Throw big glide baits, wake baits, and swimbaits early, then swap to finesse—Ned rigs, drop shots, or small plastics—as the light gets harsh. A swim jig fished silent and slow around shallow pads or riprap is money. For perch, nothing beats a lively minnow under a slip bobber—local reports confirm nice yellow perch schooling near structure, and they’re hitting aggressively on the right day. For trout and steelhead heading into the rivers, a classic egg pattern or a woolly bugger will get nods from the old-timers.

A couple hot spots to check out if you’re in Chicago: Montrose Harbor’s outer reef is always a magnet for smallies and the occasional bonus walleye, especially if you can work a swimbait or tube jig along the drop-offs. The 95th Street crib has been quietly producing quality perch for those willing to make the run—try a small jig tipped with a minnow. Don’t sleep on the river mouths, either—the Chicago and Des Plaines River junctions can be sneaky good for bass and even pike.

Best bait? Right now, the fish are in that transition from summer to fall, so m

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Artificial Lure here, bringing you your Lake Michigan fishing report straight from Chicago’s lakefront for Sunday, September 28, 2025.

Sunrise opened at 6:43 AM, and sunset’s clocking out at 6:40 PM. The lake’s settling under a bluebird sky, with highs tapping out around 79 degrees and cooler breezes drifting in near the water, according to ABC7 Chicago’s forecast. Expect a classic early fall pattern—cool to start, warming rapidly, light jacket in the morning, t-shirt weather by lunch.

Winds push in from the northeast at 10–15 knots this morning, laying down to 5–10 knots by night. Waves are riding 2–4 feet early but will be taming to 1–3 feet this afternoon, making for pleasant conditions along the Chicago shore and out farther into the blue. Water temp around Indiana Harbor and Michigan City is holding firm near 55°F, so waders and boaters, layer up if you’re wet-wading.

This time of year, fish know change is coming. Reports up and down the southern basin show smallmouth bass are hot right now, with most success coming on soft plastics—Ned rigs, tube jigs, and swimbaits fished slow over rock piles, breakwalls, and transitions from 6 to 15 feet. Michiana Outdoors News said recent smallmouth tournaments near the Michigan line saw five-pounders weighed in, best catches on Ned rigs, A-rigs, and drop-shot set-ups. That pattern stretches into Chicagoland—plug a green pumpkin or goby-colored Ned rig tight to rocks at Montrose or Burnham Harbor and hang on.

Chinook salmon and steelhead are pushing toward the harbors, chasing cooler temps and river mouths. Early risers tossing spoons and crankbaits at dawn reported a few hookups, especially around Diversey and Jackson harbors. Set your drag light and bring a net—these fish run hot.

Perch bite is spotty but worth a shot along Navy Pier and the breakwalls off 31st Street. Classic presentations—small jigs tipped with minnows or soft plastics—are stealing more fish than flashy rigs. Best window is mid-morning, and don’t overlook casting a slip bobber rig near the bottom.

Largemouth are sliding back into the weeds and marinas. A slow-rolled chatterbait or a Texas-rigged creature bait will get bit, especially late afternoon as sun angles down.

Other panfish—like bluegills—are moving deeper, and can “get a bit lost in the shuffle” this time of year as Steve Griffin notes over at Outdoor News. Still, a half-nightcrawler drifted on a jighead will draw bites, especially at calmer pockets in Monroe Harbor.

Today’s hotspots:

- **Montrose Harbor**: smallie action on rocks and inside the harbor for late-run kings.

- **31st Street Breakwall**: perch for patient anglers mid-morning and smallmouth tight to structure.

Best baits right now:

- **Ned rig** in goby or green pumpkin

- **Tube jig** or creature bait for bass

- **Emerald shiner or minnow-tipped jig** for perch

- **Spoon or crankbait** at first and last light for salmon and steelhead

Before you head out, check your gear, keep an eye on boat traffic, and

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Artificial Lure here with your detailed Saturday fishing report for Chicago and Lake Michigan, September 27th, 2025.

Out on the lake this morning, anglers were greeted by a balmy start—temperatures steadily climbing out of the upper 60s into the mid-80s today, mostly sunny, with just a whisper of a south-southwest breeze picking up as the day goes on according to local NWS and East Chicago forecasts. You’ll see calm waters, with waves a foot or less—easy boating for those heading more than five miles out, thanks to a passing warm front this afternoon. Sunrise came at 6:41 AM, and you’ll have daylight until sunset at 6:41 PM, giving plenty of time to chase those hungry fall feeders.

Recent fishing activity shows the annual transition is underway. According to Indiana DNR, colder nearshore water has drawn some perch in out of Michigan City, with anglers reporting decent numbers the last couple of days. Salmon action is ramping up but spotty—folks trolling J plugs, meat rigs, and deep diving crankbaits have fooled a handful of mature kings and the occasional coho, but the real wave hasn’t hit yet. Shore anglers have started picking up kings and a few coho, especially at first and last light, working glow spoons and crankbaits. For a classic setup, skein under a bobber is producing bites—especially when the water’s on the cooler side, and there’s light surface chop, which triggers more strikes according to DNR’s 9/26/25 report.

If you’re thinking about heading up one of the Lake Michigan tributaries like Trail Creek or the Little Calumet, you’ll find a few early-run trout and salmon lurking, especially where there’s deeper water or structure. Water’s on the low and clear side with little rain lately, so stealth is key. Look for fish stacked up near logjams and the deepest holes—use lighter line and more natural presentations. Be polite on the bank and watch for private property signs.

Bass are still showing strong in the city and harbors as we ease into fall patterns. Tournament recaps from Michiana Outdoors News show big smallmouth (up to almost 7 lbs) weighed in recently on Ned rigs, swimbaits, and tube jigs mainly in 6-12 feet of water. Largemouth have been active, and topwater bite is solid at dawn—think poppers and walking baits fished along walls, slips, and weedlines. For numbers, finesse is your friend: Ned rigs, drop-shot rigs, and 2K jigs worked on hard bottom or transitions near current and boat docks. Occasional drum and pike have also been mixed in for multispecies fun.

Crappie and bluegill are sticking with mid-summer habits—look for them suspended off piers and deep weed edges, taking live bait on slip bobbers or tiny plastics, especially as schools relate to remaining green weeds and structure. Panfishing gets better as we cool down into next week.

Top baits today:

- Glow spoons and deep diving crankbaits for kings and coho at sunrise/set.

- J-plugs and meat rigs for trolling.

- Ned rigs, tube jigs, and drop-shot rigs for bass.

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Lake Michigan’s shoreline around Chicago is waking up this Friday, September 26, 2025, with a mix of excitement and challenge, true to early fall. Sunrise popped at 5:55 and we’ll see sunset tonight at 5:59. Today’s tidal action shows a pre-dawn high tide at 5:00 AM, a low at 11:11, then afternoon high again at 5:14 and another low rolling in at 11:20 PM. With a tidal amplitude sitting at a moderate 61 coefficient, you’ll notice steady but manageable water movement, just enough to stir up the bait and invite the bite, especially as the sun gets higher, which local anglers know is when the bite can really turn on according to Tides4Fishing.

Weather-wise, the National Weather Service Marine Forecast notes light north winds at 10 to 15 knots, swinging around throughout the day toward the west, and waves right around 1 to 2 feet—so smaller craft are comfortable, and your lines won’t be dancing too wildly. Patchy morning fog might greet the early risers, but it should clear by late morning. A stubborn cool spell has kept air and water temps cooler than average this week. That chill, as reported by UPI, can slow down some species but also coaxes certain fish in closer to shore, especially as the fall transition picks up.

Fishing has been interesting this week up and down the Chicago lakefront. Reports from New Buffalo’s Lake Michigan fishing update show the king salmon action is finally starting to heat up, with most hits coming deeper around 120 feet off the breakwaters—though action can be hit-or-miss on any given day this late in September. Coho are sparse but showing up in mixed bags, especially just offshore and in the mouths of feeder streams as they prep for their runs. Perch have been more dependable close in, often just outside the harbors, though numbers can flip flop by the hour.

Bass anglers have found smallies and the occasional largemouth eager to play along the riprap at Montrose and Burnham Harbors if you get out early, before boat traffic picks up. Skamania steelhead and a few coho have also been caught over in the channel mouths and off river outlets, especially during cloudy, cooler mornings when the water’s got a little chop. Pike and freshwater drum round out the catches—big spinners and jerkbaits fished slow and deep are pulling bites.

Best baits this week include live shiners or fathead minnows for perch and drum, while artificial fans should reach for classic Chicago standbys: white tube jigs for smallmouth, orange and gold spoons for coho and kings, and big chartreuse spinners or crankbaits in deeper water for salmon staging off breakwalls. Fly anglers have done damage at dawn running streamers in the mouth of the Chicago River and at Northerly Island for the early migrators.

For hot spots, don’t miss the north wall at Montrose Harbor, where kings are known to stage before sunset, and the mouth of Diversey Harbor, a perennial perch magnet when schools push in shallow on an outgoing tide. If you’re boat-bound, try trolling

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Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, September 24th fishing report straight from Lake Michigan’s Chicago shoreline. Today’s shaping up to be a classic early autumn pattern—temperatures topping out around **56°F this afternoon with overcast skies, north winds around 10 knots, and waves in the 1–2 foot range early, building to 3–6 feet by late afternoon.** The National Weather Service has a **Small Craft Advisory through tomorrow morning** for the nearshore, so be safe if you’re getting out on the big lake.

**Fog burned off sunrise-side so expect fair visibility most of the day, but keep an eye on the sky—there’s a slight shot of showers into the afternoon.** For you early-birds, sun came up at 6:38 am, and sunset’s rolling around 6:45 pm, so you’ve got a good window to target those early and late bites.

**King salmon are making their push.** According to Joe Shead at SI.com, September’s cool temps and recent rainfall have **smelled the dinner bell for big Chinooks coming in from the depths, congregating near river mouths and breakwalls.** They’re hot for aggressive reaction strikes as they stage for the spawn. Locals have been pulling kings at Montrose and Diversey Harbors, with glow spoons, magnum crankbaits, and J-Plugs all producing. If you’re casting from the piers—**glow-in-the-dark Cleos or heavy Kastmasters at first and last light are a ticket to a ride.** Don’t forget the long-handled net.

Salmon eggs under a slip bobber have tempted a few bruisers for shore anglers, especially near the mouth of the Chicago River and the northern stretches at Wilmette. If you’ve got a kayak, run deep-divers just beyond the harbor mouths.

**Smallmouth and largemouth bass** are still active in the harbors and neighboring inland lakes. Recent tournament results from Michiana Outdoors News show Ned rigs, drop-shot, chatterbaits, and creature baits getting it done—**hits are best in 6–10 feet around rock and weed edges.** Plastics in greens and browns mimic gobies and craws. Early mornings and cloudy afternoons are prime.

**Perch** reports remain spotty but improving—look for pods in 12–20 feet just outside the harbors. Traditional techniques—**minnows on drop-shot or jigging with small plastics**—are producing limits when you find them stacked.

**Northern Pike** continue to bite well on flashy spinnerbaits and big jerkbaits at the harbor mouths, especially on the edges of those perch schools.

For those building a game plan:

- **Montrose Harbor**: Hot for kings at dawn/dusk, solid mixed bag potential.

- **Jackson Park Inner Harbor**: Good for bass and pike, sheltered from wind.

- **Navy Pier/Chicago River mouth**: Big salmon move through here and perch action picking up.

Water temps are sliding toward **mid-to-low 60s inshore**, pushing fish up shallower. With falling barometric pressure and stained water from recent chop, go bold—think **chartreuse or glow lures on overcast mornings.**

Climate-wise, surface temps and weather patterns are shifting

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