Chicago fishing: Lake Michigan to inland waters for the long July Fourth weekend

Sarah Martin caught a mess of healthy bluegills at Shabbona. Beautiful day at the Lake.

“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 October 15, both dates inclusiveDaily Harvest Limit is 8; possession limit is 16A sport fishing license is required to harvest reptiles and amphibians”

“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.”

Nice 5.33lb largemouth from Lockport illinois

Caught him on a blue gill colored 5/8oz Z-man Chatterbait BIG Blade, with a Strike King KDV Magic color 3.75″ swimbait trailer, hopping it through the weeds.

Hi,Sorry to bother you, but at 75 all my fishing buds are not around anymore. Weightless nighcrawler again. West suburb pond.

Thanks

Charles H.Darien

Dale…buzz bait was the key this evening…nice average pond size,….

The top water bite on northern Illinois lakes has been very good! If it’s weedy use a weedless frog. If open water Whopper Ploppers are working great. The best colors have been Baby Loon, Powder, Bluegill, Bone and Perch. . . . Dave’s Bait and Tackle will be open the 4Th of July 7am until 3pm! Happy 4th!!

Hey Dale,

Here’s a recap from last weeks fishing.

Area Lakes-

I was met with post frontal conditions this morning. Temps dropped 20 degrees from yesterday. The free air did feel good though. The target was pannies by downsizing to a Wiggleyourworm_fishing custom 3mm ice jig in wonder swirl. I paired that up with a Wackem and Stackem Custom Baits split tail. Pink was ultimately the color choice in that algae stained water. The windblown outside weedline is where I started first. No takers there so moved to the inside weedline and found nothing but small gills. I didn’t find any near wood, so I went and targeted rock. That was the right move as the better gills were stacked there. Every cast yielded a fish. FINS Braids crappie braid was the perfect line choice for my downsized presentation and much needed longer casts. A fun morning despite that drastic weather change.

Here is the nature pic of the week.

TTYL

Ken “Husker” O’Malley

Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team

Hi Dale As the water level goes down The good bite continues on island lake for largemouth bass and panfish. I was having good action on light Texas rig and wacky rig senko around and under docks. Also punching through the duckweed and slowly dragging the worm under the mat produced bites. I was getting yellow bass and crappie on a 2 inch Berkeley swim minnow. It seems to match the size of bait. The evening bite seems to be better than mornings this week. My neighbor Jim Ulms’ grandson got a nice gill on night crawler bits. Bullhead cats also hitting crawlers. Im Looking forward to getting the boat back up to the Wisconsin river in Merrill to continue my quest for a musky on a senko as well as smallmouth and pike.

On the music front last Saturday was a great show for a packed house at morgans in Libertyville with midnite mile .Tonight I’m planning on going to independence Grove to see Gizzae and hopefully join in on melodica for a song. It’s very exciting and humbleing to join these top regga bands on stage. Then it’s Saturday at montrose beach dock for show #2 with the conscious rockers. Next week Gozortenplat will have show 1 of 3 scheduled dates starting at Nashville north in Milwaukee. That w I ll have July off to a rock and rolling start. Happy 4th to you and your family. Tight lines and good health!

Hi Dale,

The bass continue to cooperate although more spread out, still hitting wacky worms and the occasional spinner bait. I had a couple of fellow fishermen stop by the kayak to check things out.

It might be a little early for buck of the week but this guy is showing some potential being out to the ears already at the end of June..

The State of Michigan imposed antler restrictions on Beaver Island several years ago and it has really worked at improving the trophy quality along with a few mild winters. Being an island, it’s a good location to demonstrate how well quality deer management can work.

All the best

Mike Lyons

Delavan Lake 7/1/24 through 7/8/24

Fishing remains excellent. With the warmer weather, the northern pike have been biting very well.

Northern Pike have been great. The fish are off the weedline anywhere between 20-25 ft of water. Look for the fish by the gray condos, willow Point or the west end by the island. The best approach is lindy rigging suckers. I fish the suckers on a 6500 Abu Garcia with a bait clicker, so when the fish bites, it will click out line and indicate that a fish is on.

Walleye fishing has been average. The fish are on the weedline in 15-24 ft of water. The fish I’m catching are on nightcrawlers fished on either a lindy rig or a split shot rig. This week it was kind of a battle to catch a legal fish. Every trip out I caught a couple but nothing to brag about. The best locations are by Browns Channel or west of the Yacht Club.

Largemouth bass can be either caught on the deep weedline in 17-20 ft or on top water lures first thing in the a.m. The best bait is chug bugs or white buzz baits. It’s best to work a depth of 8-10 ft. The fish I’ve been catching on the deep weedline, I’m catching on split shot rigged nightcrawlers. You want to concentrate on inside turns or the points on the weedline. A few fish have also been caught drop shotting Berkeley Gulp.

Bluegills are done spawning. They have moved out on the deep weedline. The nicer fish are in the 22-26 ft depth. Fishing so many nightcrawlers, I catch many right off the weedline. Some of the fish are in excess of 10 inches. Nightcrawlers or small leaf worms are the best approach.

Crappies have pulled off the weedline. They are suspending in 15 ft of water. The best approach has been purple plastic. Look for the fish over by Browns Channel or west of the Yacht club. I use a 1/32 oz Arkie Jig and a 3/0 split shot 1 ft above the jig. That allows you to cast a good distance and the fall rate is very effective.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063

Hey Dale,

I made a trip out to our favorite Putnam County lake this past weekend to chase some bass. It was a bit breezy with winds bumping 15 mph, which made things a bit challenging. After getting pushed around the channels by the breeze, I started working some of the deep pockets near shore and was fortunate enough to tangle with this specimen. Got it on Texas rigged Zoom lizard. Anyone that has not been to this lake before, I strongly suggest checking the weather for wind speed, if it’s much over 10-12 mph, expect to work harder for your fish.

Tight Lines,

Gene Jarka
Princeton , IL

Hi Dale,

A Fox watershed report: I fished the Fox proper late last week; from Elgin to Oswego, the area had received 2+ inches of rain over the previous week, so water levels were way up and it was muddy. I was in the Montgomery/Oswego area and it didn’t look promising, but it was fish there or don’t fish at all. Smallmouths were close to shore where the water was flowing more slowly and running slightly clearer. I got a few in a short time. There were also carp feeding in eddies and behind points.

A couple of nights later, I tried a tributary just upstream from the mouth, thinking that maybe some fish had moved up to get out of the heavy currents in the Fox. This creek usually runs gin clear, but that day it was still high and had way more color than usual. Again, I got into a few smallmouths and even a channel cat. It’s not really a surprise anymore when that happens: cats do use the tributaries when the Fox is elevated and are willing to hit flies. By the way, all fish last week came on a Harvey Night Pusher fly, the one we’d discussed in an earlier exchange, originally designed by the fly fishing professor at Penn State. It has a nice silhouette and gives off some movement that should show up well in off-colored water.

Hey Dale,

The Fox River in Kane County is flowing high and fast with lots of floating weeds. Smallmouth are being caught close to the banks and occasionally in current further out from shore. Nothing above 17 inches this week, but a good number of decent sized fish in the 12 to 17 range were found. People are catching the occasional walleye. Lots of catfishermen were out over the weekend. Conditions are kind of tough from the banks. Moving around and covering water is key.

Catfishing continues to be excellent at the dams at McHenry, Algonquin and Carpentersville. Dave’s Bait and Tackle will be open the 4Th of July 7am until 3pm! Happy 4th!!

Lake Geneva Fishing Report 7-1-24 – 7-8-24

With the Fourth of July holiday approaching quickly, the fishing is starting to improve in both numbers and size. One of the keys for this time of year is to arrive early for optimal fishing and parking at the boat launches.

Rock bass have been biting very well in 12-15 ft of water. Most of the fish I’ve been catching are in scattered weeds and sand pockets. The best location is by Knollwood, Elgin Club and Black Point. The best approach is split shot rigged nightcrawlers fished on bottom.

Walleye action has been very good at night. You want to choose the nights where there is some wind. They bite better with a good chop on the lake. Smithwick Perfect 10’s and large Rapala’s have been working well. Troll the bait about 60-70 feet behind your planer boards. The best location has been by Trinkes Bay or in Williams Bay.

Largemouth bass have been biting on top water or on a drop shot rig in 12-15 ft of water. The best location has been by Trinkes or in Williams Bay. This bite is best in the first few hours of daylight. For the top water bite, I use small chug bugs in chrome and blue. For the drop shot, I’m using 4 inch Chomper finesse worms.

The bluegill and pumpkinseed bite has been very good. The best locations have been Trinkes and Geneve Bay in 8-12 ft of water. The best approach is either fishing slip bobbers with leaf worms or leaf worms fished on a split shot rig.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063

Fishing Report – 7/2/2024

By Mike Norris

Big Green Lake: Big Green’s water remains clear, and the smallmouth bass have moved deeper. I am not finding them very often out of gravel points, but I am finding them in 12 – 18 feet of water where sand grass exists. I like to cast or drift with a drop shot rig when fishing this deep. My drip shot consists of a#2 Mustad Neko hook tried 24 inches up from a half-ounce cylinder drop shot weight. My lure of choice is Berkley’s Max Scent Power Worm in the Goby color. Rock bass are active around the fish cribs in 16 – 18 feet of water. Bluegills are active around the piers. Try a drop shot rig with half a red worm strung onto the hook.

Fox Lake: Fishing for largemouth bass, crappies and walleyes was good last week until Mother Nature dumped five and a half inches of rain into the area. Fox Lake rose to near record levels, and the Fox Lake Water Management Agency ordered a temporary “no wake” order to protect the shorelines and resident piers. The order was lifted last weekend, and water levels are starting to fall. Early reports indicate the bass and northern pike bite has returned, but the crappies and walleye bite is slow.

Hi Dale – Fished Heidecke a couple days this week targeting Smallmouth but anyone fishing this lake knows anything goes. Went back this morning (Sunday) and continued to catch some solid smallmouth on reaction baits mainly bladed jigs fishing short distance off rip rap on weed edges. Sunday morning was one of those weather days you wish for in late June air temps low 60’s and water temp at 76 with a mild wind to stir up some activity. After catching several smallmouth I hooked on to my personal best Musky and knew immediately it was a good size fish actually thinking I was battling a big walleye until first sight at boat. After a few runs it was time to figure out how to get this fish into my boat. With the nose in net and tail in hand I was able to cradle the 39” 18 lb fish up and over. My PB Musky and a morning I’ll never forget. Catch and release!!

Hi Dale, Kankakee looking good for this week. Crawdad baits working for bass. Got this on the 27th. I don’t fish the Derby week, I never liked any contests where fish are the targets. G. Peters

Perch overall have been good. I know there have been lots of limits caught as well as some getting a few or none. There is a big school of perch here and they keep moving around the shoreline from the Horseshoe to the harbor you just have to locate them. Once you find them they are mostly JUMBOS! Bite times has varied also. They are biting on a variety of baits, crayfish, minnows, Shad raps etc.. Any of you that know perch they make you work a little bit.

The Smallmouth are still active up and down the lakefront. I have seen some big ones. I still think I will be weighing in a record or one very close to it. They are biting on plastics as well as live bait, crayfish, larger minnows, crawlers, shrimp etc…

No recent reports of Steelhead but Im sure they are around they are just on the hush list lol. Just jig the bottom with a dark hair jig and wax worm or float a large shiner, or crawler/ shrimp mix.

I was told by a very reputable source that south around Jackson Harbor he saw a King jump. It seems a little early but you know there is no rhyme or reason to this thing we call fishing.

Sheephead on the Horseshoe and some huge ones around the harbor when winds are North/East on crayfish but will hit a variety of baits.

A lot of Rock Bass in the harbors too. They are always fun to catch! Like I say you can’t catch them from your couch, get out and enjoy the summer!

We are here regular hours for the 4th of July holiday 4am to 8pm. Have a great safe week!

Waukegan 7/1

Hi Dale. June closed out strong with excellent catches of Coho with occasional kings, lake trout and steelhead from Waukegan south to Indiana. North of Waukegan the fishing was slow with lake trout making up most of the catch. Fish were best in 75 to 95 early in the day and 95 to 120 after the sun was up for a while.

Red, Yellow and Chrome Stubbie and 0 dodgers and Jimmy fly aqua, Blue/Green or White Pearl slider flies on downriggers 35 to 75, divers 50 to 90 and 5 to 10 color leads were best. Warrior UltraGlow Green Menace, Steelhead Candy and Fin Girl in the Warrior XL size were the best on 5 to 10 color leadcores and 200 and 250 coppers lines.

Capt Scott Wolfe
312-933-0552

Happy Birthday United States of America!!

No other country enjoys the freedoms we have and the freedom to fish the way we do!

The rain just doesn’t want to go away. What is usually a bright, sunny summer with a rain day here and there, is now a cloudy rainy summer with a chance of sun here and there. We did see a rash of Hexagenia (Mayfly) hatches last week. That hatch takes a toll on Walleye fishing as the Eyes feast up on these easy to catch prey. But that is mostly behind us so things will only improve from here on out.

Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good – With the weather bouncing around (wind, rain, temps), key on top-water action on the warmer afternoons/evenings. Pre-rigged plastic worms, 3-4” swimbaits, square billed cranks over weed tops mid-mornings through mid-afternoons. Wacky worms in cabbage flats through the day. Twitching stickbaits along inside weed edges in early mornings also effective.

Smallmouth Bass: Good-Very Good – With water temps still hovering around 68 degrees, best action coming along deep coontail edges of 14-18’. Drop-shot rigs, tubes and Ned rigs best. Not a lot of rock related reports coming in.

Bluegill: Good-Very Good – Still some signs of bedding colonies on larger lakes. Overall, best using worms or small leeches in 5-9’ of weeds. A few anglers reporting action on poppers in the evenings.

Musky: Good – Bucktails over weeds best. Some top-water action. Most reports still have fish hanging on around shallow (relatively) weeds of 6-12’, could be the late panfish bedding.

Crappie: Good – Starting to get more reports from Crappie anglers finding these fish setting up over tall weeds. Small plastics such as Bobby Garland, Slab Slayers, Kalin’s Crappie Scrubs and Berkley Atomic Teasers scoring well. Work these and small Crappie minnows 1-2’ into weed tops for best action.

Northern Pike: Good – Spinnerbaits, Mepps #3 spinners and chatterbaits over weed flats. With water in upper 60’s/low 70’s live bait with chubs or suckers also very effective.

Walleye: Fair-Good – After shutting off on many lakes due to mayfly hatch, Walleyes starting to find their appetites for leeches and crawlers. Deeper rock humps of 20-24’ using either bait on 1/8-1/4 oz jigs. Coontail edges with sandgrass flats extending out in 14-18’ holding pods of fish also.

Yellow Perch: Fair-Good – Not as many reports. Look for warm, flat days to get these fish riles up. Medium fatheads or ½ crawlers under slip-floats in thick cabbage beds of 6-10’ have been holding some nice (8-10”) fish.

Looks like the third and fourth will be nice, weather wise, before rain comes back on Friday and Saturday. Watch for those windows of opportunity and enjoy the freedom to fish.

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sports Shop
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Perch action when the wind allows the boats out from portage to Michigan city in 20 to 35ft of water using baby golden roaches.

Few steelhead being caught by trollers near the mouth of burns ditch in 30 to 40ft of water using magnum spoons and j-13 rapalas.

Trail creek in Michigan city has plenty of steelhead in it. Spawn saks, shrimp, spinners are what baits to use.

Coho are scattered but still fish being caught in 60 to 75ft of water from portage to Chicago. Dodgers and flys best

Slez’s Bait Shop will be open regular summer hours on July 4th. 5am to 6pm.

The water level is still high, but receding, and cleared up since the heavy rains. Walleye action has been very good, dragging crawlers. There’s been a good bluegill bite on the north end of Partridge Lake. And for those that didn’t get enough, there’s a few white bass in eddie pools along the river.