Perch fishing on southern Lake Michigan and waiting on the return of fishable ice locally leads this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
Scott Oglanian, who knows how to catch big fish, caught this walleye jigging in 30 feet in the McHenry area, and messaged:
It went 28 and 1/4 inches. My personal best through the ice.
Figured better get this in before ice is a brief memory.
ICE FISHING
Some are looking hopefully to next week in the local area, otherwise it is heading north.
Just in case there is fishable ice before next Tuesday, the updated ice-fishing regulations for public sites around Chicago are posted here.
AUGER SHARPENING
For the 23rd year, Fran Connelly is sharpening of auger blades. Find “Ice Auger Sharpening” on Facebook or drop off blades at either Lee’s Bait & Tackle (Elk Grove Village or Carol Stream).
LAKEFRONT PERCH
The bounty of perch on southern Lake Michigan.
Provided by Bob Johnson
Bob Johnson emailed the photos above and below, and this:
Hi Dale - I was lucky to get out on Lake Michigan over the weekend to go after Perch. A friend brought me out on his sons boat and we caught about 17 with a few Jumbos mixed in. It took some searching for the pods of bait and Perch but they’re persistent guiding put us on a couple good spots. A great weekend with boat show on Friday then Perch fishing Sunday.
Bob Johnson with some of the quality perch from southern Lake Michigan.
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
. . .
Groups still fishing slips and doing good some days some days super slow. Rosie reds and xl fathead minnows best.
When wind and weather allow 50 to 55ft straight out of portage and towards the west has givin up some perch you must move and find them but they are quality perch.
NAVY PIER ANGLING
The north side of Navy Pier is open for anglers. The discounted parking for anglers is $9 daily, if out by 10 a.m.
LAKEFRONT PARKING
For Chicago Park District’s parking passes ($20 for two months) for the anglers’ parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors, email fishing@chicagoparkdstrict.com.
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
PIER PASSES
For the $10 pier passes, which allow legal access to select piers at Jackson Park, Burnham, DuSable, Diversey, Belmont and Montrose harbors, email fishing@chicagoparkdstrict.com.
WISCONSIN FREE FISHING WEEKEND
One of Wisconsin’s free fishing weekend is this weekend, Jan. 21-22.
Here is the word from the WIDNR:
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting Free Fishing Weekend Jan. 21-22 to share the fun and excitement of winter fishing. No fishing license or trout and salmon stamps are required.
Anglers can fish state waters where there is an open season. All other fishing regulations apply, such as limits on the number and size of fish you can keep and any seasons when you must release certain fish species.
As a reminder, anglers cannot fish spring trout ponds during the Winter Free Fishing Weekend. Please review the trout regulations and 2022-2023 Hook and Line regulations for more information.
AREA LAKES
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:
My recommendation for those that want to ice fish is to wait a week as old man winter is coming back with many days of ice making temperatures. Single digit lows to close out the month. If you need to fish head to the McHenry dam and fish open water the next couple of days. Extra large fatheads on a 1/8 once jig head.
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
It’s hard to tell if it’s early March or mid January. The odd winter weather continues.
Area lakes- we have open water opportunities south of I-80. Most fish will be found in the same locations as they were during ice fishing.
. . .
TTYL
—
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Closed. Scheduled to reopen March 1.
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Art Frisell at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said it is “impossible to ice fish out there now.”
COOLING LAKES
Heidecke, LaSalle and Braidwood are closed.
DOWNSTATE
POWERTON: Bank fishing is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Boat fishing reopens Feb. 15.
EMIQUON PRESERVE: Fishing is sunrise to sunset. Access permits and liability waivers are required, remember the 2023 permits are now required. They are available Tuesday to Saturday at Dickson Mounts Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SHELBYVILLE: Check with Ken Wilson of Lithia Guide Service.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Check with Jason Johns of Boneyard Fishing.
SPRING LAKE: Site superintendent Thad Cook emailed:
Bank fishing and boat fishing at Spring Lake after 1:00 during the late Canada Goose season.
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed for the season.
DuPAGE RIVER
Capt. A.J. Cwiok with a good smallmouth bass from the DuPage River.
Capt. A.J. Cwiok messaged the photo above and this last Tuesday:
Back to the ole stomping grounds of the mighty dupage. First fish of 2023!
That’s a good first of the year.
FOX RIVER
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:
. . . If you need to fish head to the McHenry dam and fish open water the next couple of days. Extra large fatheads on a 1/8 once jig head.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Finn Taylor, 8, of Cambria, Wisconsin, with a 25-inch walleye caught on a Lake Puckaway.
Provided by Mike Norris
Guide Mike Norris texted the photo above and emailed this:
Fishing Report – 1/15/2023
Mike Norris
Big Green Lake – Ice anglers are accessing the east end of the lake from Sunset Park and are having success fishing for lake trout and cisco in sixty-feet of water with three-eighths ounce spoons or tube baits, both tipped with small chunks of processed cisco meat. Bluegill up to nine inches in Beyer’s Cove remains an option on tungsten jigs tipped with red or purple plastics, though that bite is now on and off. All area lakes have excellent access right now due to the lack of snow on the ground but are difficult to traverse for anglers without cleats on their boats.
Lake Puckaway – Anglers fishing a local ice fishing derby were greeted with sunny skies and air temperatures in the low 40’s last weekend. Ice conditions have improved on Puckaway, and some anglers are now towing their shelters out across the ice. Derby contestants, caught, photographed, and released pike up to thirty-two inches long, walleye to twenty-six inches long, and crappie to fourteen inches long during the derby.
Beave Dam Lake – Beaver Dam continues to be the local hotspot for ice fishing right now as the early evening and night bite continues to produce walleyes for numerous anglers throughout the lake. Large shiners on tip-ups are doing the damage with most action coming from the north end of the lake. Hickory Bay, Sunset Beach, and the Railroad Trestle access area are attracting the most anglers
BTW, you have to love a kid named Finn with a big walleye.
HEIDECKE LAKE
Closed. Scheduled to reopen April 1.
KANKAKEE RIVER
Frank Strand with a January smallmouth bass from the Kankakee River.
Chris Strand emailed the photo above and this on Wednesday:
Went back to the kankakee and caught 4 more walleyes and missed a 5th one and my dad [Frank] ended with with a nice 17.5in smallie. Biggest walleye today was 25in and super fat, full of eggs. Out of the 11 eyes I’ve caught in these two trips I’ve kept 3, two 17,s and a 17.75in. Even if it were legal to keep the big ones no way I would. Much rather have them spawn!
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
LAKEFRONT
Click here for Quinn Wunar’s Fish of the Week, a double-striped steelhead from Burnham Harbor.
Laurance Reed with a steelhead on the lakefront, caught on what was rare this year, a high-sky day.
Laurance Reed emailed the photo above and this:
Dear Dale,
Steelheading is supposed to be best in the morning on cloudy days. So breaking all the rules, I snuck out and was Flicker Shad after noon in perfectly clear water at one of our great harbors, with the sun shining down with not a cloud in the sky.
What’s great about bright light is I could see this steelhead take the bait!
Happy New Year!
-Laurance
Lori Ralph at the Salmon Stop in Waukegan texted:
Good morning, just a few ice reports from Northpoint, but now ice is squishy!
LaSALLE LAKE
Closed. Scheduled to reopen March 15.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
It’s hard to tell if it’s early March or mid January. The odd winter weather continues.
. . .
Madison Chain-lakes in the area have 5 1/2 to 6 inches of clear ice. Mondays heavy rains will cut into it.
Bluegill were decent along weed flats fished with WYW jigs tipped with a variety of plastics.
Perch could be found mid day working a gold tungsten jig tipped with multiple spikes on the edge of drop offs.
TTYL
—
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
MAZONIA
Ice fish at your own risk, it’s going to be a while.
Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
The incredibly mild January continues! With average lows in the mid-20’s and highs in the low/mid-30’s cold is no excuse for getting out on the ice this winter. If there is a negative to this balmy January it’s that many lakes don’t have enough ice (clear ice averages are 8-14) to support truck travel. Also, some slush still being reported. Overall access and travel for foot, snowmobiles, ATV’s, and UTV’s has been good. Yet with the lack of cold, be careful. Today (1/16) we’re experiencing rain, which can lead to slippery boat landings, crust and added slush on the ice.
Northern Pike: Very Good – Lots of reports of #’s and some nice sized fish. Most anglers using large shiners & suckers. With warm weather and not a lot of ice, Pike very active in weeds of 4-10’. A few anglers jigging larger spoons tipped with minnow heads or using Jaw Jackers with live bait for the fun of catching these fish on rod & reel.
Crappie: Very Good – Locations have been mixed. Most anglers at this time of year are targeting basin Crappies over mud in 22-34’ of water. Jigging small spoons tipped with spikes or tip-downs baited with rosies. There is still a good number of Crappies in the weeds. These fish are taking slow dropped plastics on rocker spoons and Lethal Cecils.
Largemouth Bass: Very Good-Good – They like this warm weather. Good action and nice sized Bass in weedy flats of 6-10’. Medium shiners 2’ off bottom under tip-ups or Jaw Jackers.
Bluegill: Very Good-Good – Similar to LMB, weeds of 6-10’. Small jigs tipped with waxies or dark plastics. Early AM best for larger Gills. Some being found suspended along deep weed breaks of 12-16’.
Walleye: Good – Bite picking back up. Off shore humps of gravel or sandgrass getting visited towards dusk. Suckers seem to be preferred best, river shiners second choice. Jigging Raps and Rattlin Raps scoring also. Very early AM (pre-dawn) also a good time slot.
Yellow Perch: Good – Mud flats of 20-30’ best bouncing Time Bombs, Pinhead Minnows or Pimples to stir up mud. Bait up with wigglers or red spikes.
Lots of people up this past holiday season taking advantage of the mild weather and extra day to fish. Don’t see much of a change coming in forecast, New Moon on Saturday always a plus.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Kinda on the slow side with no ice fishing going on around these parts.
Groups still fishing slips and doing good some days some days super slow. Rosie reds and xl fathead minnows best.
When wind and weather allow 50 to 55ft straight out of portage and towards the west has givin up some perch you must move and find them but they are quality perch.
SHABBONA LAKE
Site winter hours—through Jan. 31—are 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Boondocks is closed
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Capt. A.J. Cwiok with walleye fishing from shore on the St. Joseph River.
Capt. A.J. Cwiok messaged the photo above and this Wednesday:
St Joe is on fire
Looks so
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said last week charters were catching steelhead in the river.
Paddle and Pole hosts the Berrien Springs Fish Ladder Camera.
WINNEBAGO SYSTEM, WISCONSIN
Sturgeon spearing season opens Feb. 11. Previous permits required.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
Ice conditions are poor, back to walking. Perch and gills still biting good. Some walleye and white bass on Poygan near the horseshoe hole
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