Lake Michigan Chicago Fishing Report Today

It’s Artificial Lure with your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report for Sunday, September 21, 2025.

Sun rose at 6:45 AM and will set at 6:57 PM, so there’s still good daylight left to wet a line. The weather’s been mild all day—temps sitting in the mid-60s, humidity decent, and the skies partly cloudy. Winds have been moderate, mostly south switching to southwest, 10 to 15 knots earlier, settling to light breezes as the evening approaches according to the National Weather Service Marine Forecast. Waves are tame, 1 to 2 feet, making shoreline and pier fishing easy and safe.

Tide info from Tides4Fishing pins today’s tidal coefficient at 91, which is very high for Chicago’s freshwater, giving us robust lake currents and solid underwater movement—great for stirring up baitfish and drawing the predators closer to shore. That extra energy usually triggers active feeding, especially on the lakefront's drop-offs and rock piles.

On the fish front, here’s what’s hot right now: the late summer bonanza is in full swing. The salmon run is progressing, especially kings and cohos staging around Montrose and Burnham Harbors—these fish are aggressive in the early morning and at dusk. Salmon have been hitting well on bright orange and chartreuse spoons, especially the Moonshine and Michigan Stinger brands. For bait, skein under a float and cut baits are the top choices for targeting kings close to shore. Downriggers and dipsy divers have fooled some chunky fish out past 40 feet if you’re running a boat.

Perch action remains solid around the 63rd Street Crib and off Navy Pier. Reports earlier this morning on the Chicago Lake Michigan Daily Fishing Report mention “lots of 10- to 12-inchers coming over the rails.” The best bite windows are sunrise and just after sunset. Drop-shot rigs tipped with fathead or emerald shiners are the clear best bait, but soft plastic minnow imitations in natural colors also produced limits for savvy anglers.

Smallmouth bass are showing up in good numbers at rock piles near the mouth of the Chicago River and along the breakwalls north of Diversey, with fish up to 4 pounds reported. Ned rigs in green pumpkin and goby tubes are the go-to lures. Bass are feeding heavily in 8 to 15 feet over hard bottom, especially when you find scattered schools of shiners pushed by today’s active currents.

A few bonus northern pike were caught trolling along the weed edges out from Calumet Park, mostly on big spinnerbaits and white swimbaits.

For those bank fishing or just starting out, worms and nightcrawlers under a slip float work day in and day out on perch and small bass. Salmon chasers should focus on sunrise and sunset and use bigger, flashier presentations.

Hot spots for today:

- **Montrose Harbor**: Prime for staging salmon—best action dawn and dusk.

- **Burnham Harbor**: Salmon and occasional jumbo perch; fish deeper water transitions.

- **63rd Street Crib & Navy Pier**: Perch in numbers and some dinner plate-sized.

- **Diversey Breakwall

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Artificial Lure coming to you live with your Lake Michigan, Chicago fishing report for Saturday, September 20, 2025. First light rolled in at 6:38 AM, and sunset will close the day at 6:55 PM. Out on the water, the latest National Weather Service bulletins say to expect southeast winds at 10 to 15 knots this morning, dropping to 5 to 10 knots as the day goes; waves are 2 to 4 feet early, settling to 1 to 3 feet by afternoon, with a few passing showers and perhaps a thunderstorm popping up later. It’s that unmistakable early fall feeling—humid, mild, with the lake clocking a water temperature right around 73°F according to watertemps.com.

Fish activity is on the upswing. According to Chicago Lake Michigan Daily Fishing Report and recent Indiana DNR updates, the salmon run is gathering steam. Kings are the stars right now, with a handful coming in at all Chicago ports. Along the deeper walls and river mouths, anglers are also picking up some coho and steelhead. Out on the lake, late season perch have started to cooperate—not huge numbers, but enough for a tasty fish fry. Smallmouth bass are still aggressive on the rock piles, and drum remain reliable for action. Pike and largemouth bass are showing up in the harbors too.

The best lures for salmon right now are glow spoons and deep diving crankbaits, especially early or late when light is low. If you’re searching for kings, also consider running skein under a bobber or behind a float near the breakwalls—classic Chicago setup. Coho and steelhead are being caught trolling dodgers with flies and small bright spoons. Perch are best targeted with minnows or small plastics tipped with waxworms. For smallmouth bass and drum, go with soft plastics, tube jigs, or live shiners worked along the rocks and drop-offs.

Hot spots this weekend:

- **Montrose Harbor wall**: Kings, coho, and the occasional steelhead have been landed here. Try both casting and float setups.

- **Burnham Harbor**: Smallmouth and largemouth are biting soft plastics near weed edges, especially close to the warm water outflow.

- **Jackson Park Inner/Outer Harbor**: Perch and drum mixed in, especially around the mouth and deeper holes.

Chicago’s river mouths—especially at the Chicago River and Calumet—are holding staging salmon, waiting for the next big rain to make their push up. The tributaries are running low and clear, so patience and drift techniques pay off. According to the Indiana Fishing Reports and local shop chatter, expect more king and coho action once that next cold front or rain moves through.

If you’re headed out tonight, bring rain gear and keep an eye on the radar. Evening showers could spark aggressive feeding, especially for the night owls working glow baits.

That’s the scoop for September 20, 2025. Get out there early, make sure to mix up your presentations, and keep your lines tight. Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Michigan fishing report. Be sure to hit subscribe to stay updated with the latest.

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Artificial Lure here with your Lake Michigan Chicago angler’s report for September 19, 2025. If you’re headed out this Friday, get ready for classic late-summer action and prime autumn transition. Let’s break down what you need to know.

Sunrise splashed the lakefront at 5:55 a.m., with sunset at 6:03 p.m. That gives you over 12 hours of daylight—the perfect chance to hit the morning and evening bites. Tides are running strong today, with highs at 12:51 p.m. and lows around 6:30 a.m. and just before 7 p.m., following a high tidal coefficient of 81. That means big water movement and boosted inshore currents—expect baitfish and active predators to push closer to shore, especially around tidal transitions according to Tides4Fishing.

The weather is textbook fall warm-up, with highs pushing 86 degrees inland but a little cooler right on the water. Expect mostly sunny skies and that classic lake breeze—afternoon winds swinging from southeast at 5-10 knots up to northeast at 10-15 knots later, keeping waves around a foot, per the National Weather Service and Fox 32. It’s just the day for light layers and sunglasses, but pack a light jacket if you’re fishing until dusk.

Now for the action. Recent days have seen a classic mix along the Chicago harbors and breakwalls. Salmon are gathering at river mouths and pier heads, staging for their fall run. Anglers have been hooking up with Chinook and coho, especially at Montrose and Diversey Harbors, as reported by local bait shops and charter crews. Early mornings saw a few kings caught on J-plugs in green or chartreuse and flashy spoons. Use medium-heavy setups and don’t skimp on the drag—the fish are moving and powerful this time of year.

Steelhead and brown trout are also filtering in, with most action hitting the north harbor walls and the mouths of the Chicago and Calumet rivers. Spawn sacks in pink or orange, egg-imitating beads, and small crankbaits have been catching fish, especially with that extra current. For bait anglers, locally cured skein and waxworms under floats are a top pick.

Smallmouth and rock bass remain steady on inland structure—think Navy Pier or the rocky stretches near 31st Street, with Ned rigs, drop-shot minnow imitators, or live fatheads getting the nod. Late afternoons have been best, once the sun drops low and prey fish push back in.

This week’s hot spots?

- **Montrose Harbor**: Salmon, steelhead, and an occasional surprise laker right near the horseshoe and the north wall.

- **Calumet Park’s breakwall**: Solid for morning browns and cohos; stay mobile and don’t be afraid to switch lures if the bite slows.

For tackle, my recommendations:

- Cast silver/blue Little Cleos, Krocodiles, or glow spoons at first light for salmon. If you’re targeting trout, drift pink and chartreuse spawn sacks under slip floats or toss 3” white swimbaits along rocky points after sunrise.

- Bass chasers: Green pumpkin tubes and hair jigs are money, especially near submerged boulders and drop-offs.

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Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure with your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report for Wednesday, September 17th, 2025. It’s shaping up to be a classic early fall day for fishing our great lake, so let’s get right into the details.

Weatherwise, the National Weather Service has us mostly sunny, with light north winds swinging around to the northeast later in the day, running 5 to 10 knots. Wave action is minimal at just about 1 foot, so the water’s going to be quite fishable pretty much anywhere near shore. Air temps are a pleasant 72 degrees, humidity around 62%, and virtually zero chance of rain according to the latest from watertemps.com. Some light fog might crop up early, but should burn off quickly.

Sunrise today clocks in at 6:35 a.m. with sunset at 6:57 p.m., giving you a good, full stretch to work the morning and evening bite windows. Watertemps.com notes peak fish activity with major feeding periods late morning from roughly 9:57 a.m. to 12:27 p.m. and another minor run in the early evening 5:10 to 6:40 p.m. Action rating is 3 out of 5—solid, but you’ll want to bring your A-game and a little patience.

As for what’s biting, it’s transition season. Kings and coho salmon are running, staging in closer to harbors and river mouths as the water cools and the urge to spawn kicks in. Solid numbers of steelhead are still popping up, especially between Wilmette Harbor and Burnham, with occasional brown trout mixed in according to the latest DNR reports. In the local rivers like the Root, steelhead have been bending rods for anyone working spawn sacs, beads, or smaller jigs under a float. Reports straight from the Root River say steelhead catches remain strong both above and below the fish ladder, though water clarity has improved since last week’s rain.

Perch bite has been on and off, but you can find decent numbers if you hunt around the harbor mouths and breakwalls using classic presentations—drop-shot rigs tipped with fathead minnows or perch talker rigs, a local favorite. Anglers working swimbaits and larger profile lures are still drawing in some bonus walleye and late-summer smallies, especially early and right at dusk. Jerkbaits and stickbaits trolled in 30-40 feet of water are producing both salmon and the occasional lake trout for boaters.

Hot lures right now: for salmon and steelhead, flashy spoons like Moonshine or Silver Streaks in blue/green or white/pearl; spawn sacs and beads work well under floats in river mouths. For perch, drop-shot rigs with chartreuse or orange plastics are key. If you’re gunning for bass, Robo Worms in Aaron’s Magic or similar finesse worms have been working early and late—tips borrowed from anglers up at Sylvan but lighting it up here too.

Top spots today:

- The stretch from Montrose Harbor to Belmont Harbor, working the outer wall and harbor mouth for trout and salmon moving in.

- Burnham Harbor and the mouth of the Chicago River for numbers of steelhead and perch, especially around dawn.

- Norther

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Artificial Lure here in Chicago on Lake Michigan, and today’s report is all about the drama that only September fishing can bring to the city’s water. Starting off, let’s talk conditions: The National Weather Service and local reports have strong storm activity and a Special Marine Warning in effect this morning, with wind gusts up to 40 knots—these hit hardest before dawn, especially from Wilmette Harbor south to Michigan City. Monroe Harbor, Calumet Harbor, Burnham and 31st Street are all seeing choppy water and dangerous wind shifts. If you’re planning on launching, stay tight to the piers until this front pushes through. Small craft should wait for things to settle late morning.

Weather-wise, we’ve got heavy rain and high humidity with air temps in the low 80s, so rain gear is a must, but the bite often turns on after the breeze lays down. Lake temp’s hovering around 71°F, which keeps those salmon staging in close. Sunrise was at 6:33 a.m. this morning, with a sunset at 7:00 p.m., so your power hours are around dawn and that last hour before dark.

Now, let’s talk fish! The past 48 hours have been all about staging Chinook and Coho salmon at harbor mouths and river entrances. Reports are hot and heavy from Montrose and Diversey Harbors—kings to 18 pounds smashed glow spoons at first light, and coho aren’t far behind, showing up best on smaller orange or chartreuse casting spoons. Pier anglers working Belmont and 31st found their best action vertical jigging Mission Luna glow jigs tipped with a small piece of salmon skein, especially during those low-light hours. The downtown cribs have kicked out a few bonus lake trout hitting white tube jigs dragged deep, and steelhead have been caught on casted blue/silver Cleos or spawn sacs under floats, especially after the rain started pushing in this weekend.

Panfish are still going in the harbor slips—yellow perch action is picking up along the rocky walls at Navy Pier and on the north wall at 59th Street. If you’re on the hunt, double-hook perch rigs with live minnows or bits of worm will dial you in. Largemouth bass are buried in the weed edges and corners of Jackson Park and Humboldt lagoons, best taken with natural-color plastics or wacky-rigged Senkos when the sun breaks out.

Hot lures this week: for salmon, it’s all about glow spoons (especially chartreuse, orange, and blue/silver combos), Luna jigs and spawn-tipped hair jigs. For trout and steelhead, stick to bright Cleos or try a jig under a slip bobber with shrimp or spawn. Perch are loving live baby shiners or fathead minnows, and don’t forget a small slip float for finesse.

A couple of hot spots: Montrose Harbor still leads the pack for early-morning king salmon, especially on the long cast off the horseshoe pier. Jackson Park’s inner basin is a sleeper spot for late-morning Coho, and Navy Pier is prime perch territory—just work close to the rocks and keep your bait low.

Best tides don’t apply here, but solunar tables show the major bi

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Artificial Lure reporting from Chicago’s lakefront, September 13, 2025—here’s your boots-on-the-dock fishing update for Lake Michigan and the Chicago harbors.

Sunrise hit us at 5:55 AM, sunset’s coming at 6:08 PM. The weather’s classic for late summer: early patchy fog hugging the lake, with southeast winds 10 to 15 knots ramping up into the afternoon, and an on-and-off chance of rain and thunderstorms drifting through by midday. Waves are manageable, coming in at 1 to 3 feet, so boating’s a go—but keep an eye out for those quick-moving squalls, especially if you’re out past Montrose or Diversy Harbor. By evening, clouds are thinning and winds drop to an easy 5 to 10 knots, so the bite might just stay active till dark, especially along the inside walls and pier heads.

Tidal activity’s mellow today; the highest move was at 6:21 AM (about 2 meters), with another solid lift just after lunch at 12:31 PM (so plan your “power hours” accordingly). Solunar charts say fish activity’s average, but with the shifting fronts, expect bursts of feeding when rain clears out or as pressure drops. According to tides4fishing.com, today's solunar window hits its stride from late morning into mid-afternoon—ideal for that last-cast king or staging coho.

Now, the hot action: September’s king salmon rush is peaking. Reports from pier heads and river mouths statewide have been electric, with anglers lining up before dawn, glow spoons cutting the twilight, and kings smashing skein and jigs at first light—especially around Montrose and Belmont. Ludington and Grand Haven piers up the coast are boiling with both coho and Chinook, but Chicago’s harbors are seeing that same surge. Skamania steelhead are cruising the inside walls early, and the odd laker is biting off the cribs when storms push bait in.

Recent counts show the best numbers for king salmon—double digits for shore casters targeting the channel edges at sunrise, and small boaters reporting limits 60 to 100 feet down trolling meat rigs and flasher flies. Cohos are running behind, showing up in mixed catches, and the panfish bite (perch, rock bass) remains good in the calmer pockets, especially on warmer afternoons. Local anglers are also seeing a push of early browns and rainbow trout in the cool shallows, with the bigger lakers still favoring the offshore humps and deep cribs.

For tackle, it’s time to go flashy and loud: top trolling lures right now are A-TOM-MIK trolling flies, Luhr-Jensen Jet Divers (blue and chartreuse get hammered), and Northern King glow spoons. Mack’s Hot Wings in pink or green have been productive, and double jointed Rapalas draw strikes when bounced off rock lines. On the bait side, salmon are crushing fresh skein and large shiners, but don’t overlook spawn bags under floats if you’re fishing still water near the harbor mouths. Lake trout and deeper steelhead are grabbing cut-plug herring on wire sinkers, especially when waves pick up.

Live bait for panfish (perch, bluegills) is still

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Hey anglers, this is Artificial Lure coming to you live on this Friday, September 12th, with your up-to-the-minute Lake Michigan fishing report, right out of Chicago.

Sunrise hit at 5:55am this morning and sunset’s expected at 6:09pm, so you’ve got a solid 12 hours and 14 minutes of daylight to chase a bite. The tidal situation is lively: we saw a high tide at 5:33am, a low at 11:42am, and another high rolling in around 5:53pm. Tidal coefficients are strong today—a 71 rating means brisk currents and some extra movement in the fish, especially around those changeover windows according to Tides4Fishing.

The weather’s been mild, with South winds picking up at 10–15 knots early and shifting to southeast at 5–10 knots by evening, keeping waves manageable at 1 to 2 feet along shore. Foggy conditions lingered west of the lake last night, and scattered clouds are expected through the day, with rain and T-storms likely pushing in overnight as per the National Weather Service marine forecast. Not much surf, so access and boat conditions are good for morning and evening runs.

In terms of fish behavior, big tidal shifts and stable summer water temps have the bite cranking up. Perch action has picked up near Navy Pier and Montrose Harbor—most are finding them stacked in 8 to 15 feet, especially tight to rock piles and docks. Minnows on slip bobbers and perch rigs are getting it done best. Anglers on the north side are reporting steady limits with some jumbos in the mix lately.

Salmon are beginning their seasonal push in from the lake, staging near river mouths and deeper harbor cuts. Cohos and some Kings are showing near Burnham and Diversey, with spoons, glow stick plugs, and bright moonshine patterns scoring strikes at dusk and dawn. Trollers working deeper water are getting action between 40 and 80 feet using salmon rigs tipped with herring or a small piece of skein. Scent matters right now.

Smallmouth bass are solid in the breakwalls and drop-offs off Jackson Park, with vertical jigs, medium-sized tube baits, and drop-shot rigs on live goby or worm profiles turning up quality catches. For shore anglers, green pumpkin or chartreuse soft plastics like the “Worm 6-1/4” are a good bet—change up with a purple flake if the water’s fouled according to Custom Jigs.

Walleye reports are thin but improving as water cools, with a few caught after dark from the downtown rock piles using crankbaits and crawler harnesses. Try slip bobber setups with leeches for bonus channel cats in slow water, especially after sundown.

Top baits on hand right now:

- Fathead minnows or soft plastic minnow imitations for perch

- Glow spoons, dodgers with flies, and herring strips for salmon

- Tube jigs, drop-shot worms, and live gobies for smallmouth

- Crawler harnesses and deep-diving crankbaits for walleye at dusk

Best hot spots:

- Montrose Harbor’s outer wall and nearby rocky pockets for perch and bass

- Navy Pier and Diversey for salmon staging, especially mornings and evenin

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The sun rose over Lake Michigan this morning at 6:26 AM, painting the East Chicago skyline with soft late-summer colors and signaling near-perfect fishing conditions. Air temps are coasting in the upper 60s with light southeast winds at 7 to 10 mph pushing small chop—waves mostly 1 to 3 feet—meaning it’s ideal both from shore and small craft. No rain in the forecast, and water temperature right at the city shoreline is 68°F, stable and inviting for both anglers and fish, according to the National Weather Service and the latest monitoring buoys.

Top activity periods for Lake Michigan in Chicago today line up for the late morning and again in the early evening: think 8:06 to 9:36 AM for a minor bite window, and 2:15 to 4:45 PM for more serious action, per Watertemps.com’s solunar table. If you’re skipping out after work, minor action picks back up 7:32 to 9:02 PM, which should time perfectly with a sunset at 7:12 PM tonight.

The back half of August and early September have been steady for mixed bags. A run along Montrose and Belmont Harbors has put up decent numbers of smallmouth and occasional chunky largemouth, often pulled from rocky points or near harbor inflows. Per local reports and conversations at Henry’s, shore casters are still connecting with coho and occasional steelhead, mostly on spoons and crankbaits at dawn and dusk.

Perch activity is picking up, though bite windows are short and best when boats can access deeper transitions—think 20 to 30 feet off Burnham or Calumet. Skokie Lagoons and harbors north near Wilmette are producing crappies on smaller jigs and live bait, with bluegill and the odd northern pike signing on, especially around weedlines with live shiners or chartreuse twister tails.

For bait and lures, there’s a clear pattern:

- For **salmonids**, silver and blue spoons (like Kastmasters or Cleos) and shallow-running crankbaits have been top picks, especially at first light or on cloud cover.

- For **bass**, soft plastics in natural colors and Ned rigs along rocky shorelines or drop-offs are turning numbers. Topwaters are still drawing strikes during low light, especially walkers and poppers worked near riprap or weed edges.

- For **perch and panfish**, go small and subtle—live minnows, wax worms, and soft plastic grubs on light jigs. Vertical jigging tight to pilings or seawalls from Navy Pier down to 95th can reap big catches when you find the school.

A couple of hot spots to try:

- **Montrose Harbor**—always a classic for multi-species. Early risers tossing small cranks can intercept cruising smallies and the odd salmon, and the harbor arms shelter nice panfish schools by midday.

- **Burnham Harbor**—find clean water and you’ll find everything from perch to cruising northern pike. Drop shot rigs and small swimbaits work wonders along boat slips, and there’s always a chance at a bonus walleye right at dusk.

The weather is set fair and stable through the weekend, with highs nudging into the low 80s and ligh

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This is Artificial Lure with your September 7th, 2025, fishing report from Chicago’s Lake Michigan shoreline. If you’re waking up early, sunrise hit at 5:54 a.m. and sunset clocks in at 6:13 p.m. Today’s weather is classic early September—cool, with highs in the mid-60s, a northwest breeze at 10 to 20 miles an hour, and just a faint shot at an early sprinkle before skies clear up. The air is crisp, humidity around 50%, and water temps holding steady in the low to mid-50s according to local reports. Expect 1 to 3 foot waves nearshore if you’re heading out in a boat. Perfect hoodie weather for casting from the rocks or piers.

The **tides** are rolling big today with a high coefficient—expect major high and low swings plus strong lake currents. First low tide was at 7:10 a.m., next high hits around 1:22 p.m., and next low at 7:34 p.m., so the midday bite should be active as fish move with the shifting currents.

**Fish activity’s** been picking up after some cool nights. The early-morning and late-afternoon periods are the hot windows. Anglers are reporting solid numbers of king salmon staging close to shore, especially from Montrose south to Burnham Harbor. Cohos are still mixed in. Steelhead are showing around river mouths and harbors. Perch have been on the move but grab live bait presentations around the Navy Pier when the bite is on. Smallmouth bass are prowling the rock breaks at dawn and dusk, pouncing on anything that looks like a shad, alewife, or crayfish.

Best **lures and baits** right now: For kings and cohos, trollers are landing fish on glow spoons, especially green or blue patterns before sunrise, and J-plugs or cut bait as the sun comes up. Vertical jiggers fishing deeper breakwaters have good luck with 2-ounce P-Line or Mission Lures glow jigs tipped with a piece of skein. Steelhead are hitting on smaller bright spoons or floating spawn sacks under slip bobbers near the harbor mouths. For smallmouth, you can’t go wrong with soft tubes or Ned rigs in green pumpkin or goby hues, or by slow rolling a live minnow or crawler on a dropshot rig along the reefs and piers.

**Perch** remain day-to-day, but when a school moves in, minnows or bits of softshell crayfish fished on a small crappie rig do the trick. Some jumbo perch have come from the inside of Navy Pier and around 63rd Street Beach when lake conditions settled. Panfish hunters using waxworms and small spinners have done well in the calmer slips.

A couple of **hot spots**: Try the Montrose Harbor horseshoe for early staging salmon—get there by first light and watch for boils and surface activity. The Burnham/Northerly Island wall is another top producer, especially on a northwest wind, and always holds bonus brown trout as September goes on. On the south side, Calumet Park and the mouth of the river are producing cohos and steelhead for patient anglers drifting spawn.

Today’s **major activity periods** are late morning (9:13 to 11:43 a.m.) and again in the evening (4:58 to 6:2

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Live from the Chicago lakeshore, this is Artificial Lure bringing you your Saturday, September 6th, 2025 Lake Michigan fishing report.

Sunrise kicked off at 5:54 a.m. and sunset will close the curtain around 6:15 p.m. today. We’ve got about 12 hours and 20 minutes of daylight, so plenty of time to wet a line. Tides are on the subtle side—low tide hit at 3:55 a.m. with another coming this afternoon near 4:47 p.m., while highs stand at 10:23 a.m. and 10:59 p.m. The tidal coefficient is moderate, so currents are light and not expected to turn up much turbidity according to Tides4Fishing.

Weather-wise, after a blowy Friday, the west wind is hanging on around 15 to 20 knots on the Chicago side, with waves sitting at 1 to 3 feet early, possibly bumping up to a choppy 2 to 4 feet by midafternoon. Skies look clearer this morning, clouding up as the day gets long. The air is brisk, and the surface water temp is trailing down from those summer highs, settling nicely in the mid-to-upper 60s based on National Weather Service updates and forecast chatter. Bundle up—gusts can still linger!

Fishing action this week has been classic late-summer transition. There’s been strong nearshore pier and breakwall activity reported on both sides of the state line, especially just after sunrise and right before dusk. King and coho salmon are making their early push through the harbor mouths—try trolling spoons or casting heavy flashy lures that imitate shad or smelt, especially with that chop on the water after these windy fronts. For salmon, chartreuse and silver spoons or J-plugs have drawn bites this week. If targeting steelhead, concentrate efforts near river mouths and use spawn sacs or bright cranks.

Smallmouth bass are staging tight along the riprap, breakwalls, and deeper docks. Local bassers are soaking up success using goby imitations—think tubes in green pumpkin and dark brown, or dropshotting 3-inch minnows and finesse worms. If it stays breezy, tie on a crankbait or twitch a paddle-tail swimbait along current seams. Northern pike have been ambushing in shallower weedlines and the occasional muskie rumor is floating out of the Calumet system.

For panfish, perch have started bunching up again close to the downtown harbors and north to Wilmette—fish minnows or soft plastics under slip-bobbers at 8 to 15 feet. Subtle presentations on lighter tackle are best—minnow-tipped perch rigs have done numbers.

Hot spots today:

- **Montrose Harbor**: Still producing kings, especially at dawn on spoons and cranks; pier end for best chance at fresh pods.

- **Northerly Island and 31st Street Harbor**: Active for smallmouth and perch, with some bonus pike early and late.

- **Calumet Park**: Credible king and coho success, especially when the water's rough.

All in all, conditions are prime for the savvy angler who times the tide swing and matches baits to the local forage. After the winds ease, look for action to jump as fish move inshore for easy meals.

That’s a wrap fo

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