The December mantra—lakefront perch and waiting on ice—continue to lead the sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
Arden Katz texted the photo at the top from the North Slip (85th Street).
LAKEFRONT PERCH
Katz said at 85th on Monday, he caught seven perch on his first seven casts at sunrise, then was blanked for an hour and half; so they moved to 89th and caught perch with Mini-Mites and spikes. Guy next to him outfished him using fluorocarbon line and tiny Keitechs.
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Good morning Dale,
Perch fishing still the hot topic.Navy Pier and the 85th area has been mostly good, its the timing that has been the key factor in catching. Some days they are early other days they bite later but hey, those who are true perch anglers know this is how perch tend to do it. Other than Diversey harbor which has been pretty good for perch I haven’t heard about the other harbors.
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Some perch being caught still north of Gary light in 55 to 60ft of water. Please if you catch a perch that deep keep it. Catching them that deep they do not survive throwing them back.
Navy pier has been hit or miss. Some customers I’ve talked to seem to do best as the sun goes down.
87th street slip has been packed with fishermen and some days good and some days super slow.
Boat fisherman fishing 106th street and farther up the river have been doing ok moving around a lot.
He’s absolutely right about that of releasing perch caught from deep water.
NOTE ON CHICAGO PASSES
The Northerly Island Visitor Center remains closed, but, beginning Dec. 28, parking passes or pier passes may be bought Thursdays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Lincoln Park Cultural Center, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West in Lincoln Park (credit card only, street parking only) I suggest emailing fishing@chicagoparkdistrict.com with questions. Since Park Bait closed for the winter, Stacey Greene-Fenlon said she would be willing to provide passes (cash only) if you contact her on social media.
Chicago Park District’s parking passes ($20 for two months) are for the anglers’ parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors.
The park district pier passes ($10 for the season) allow legal access to select piers at Jackson Park, Burnham, DuSable, Diversey, Belmont and Montrose harbors.
AUGER SHARPENING
For the 24th 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).
NAVY PIER ANGLING
The north side of Navy Pier is open for anglers. Discounted parking for anglers is $9 daily, beginning at 5 a.m.; must be out by 10 a.m. for the discount. Click here to prepay for the discounted tickets.
LAKEFRONT PARKING
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
AREA LAKES
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale,
Here’s a recap of the last couple days Christmas Eve edition. It’s amazing that a year ago today temps were near zero and I was drilling holes. Not today with highs in the 50’s! The focus was areas of current with all the rain lately. In-flows and springs had bluegill, crappie, and a few bass stacked up in those areas with slightly warmer water temps. With the very cloudy water, I decided to switch back to plastics. The bait of choice was a Wiggleyourworm_fishing custom jig paired with a Wackem and Stackem Custom Baits micro split tail. Just picked these baits up this week. They are awesome and definitely going into the rotation come hard water season. The long rods will continue to do battle until Mother Nature brings some ice.
TTYL
Ken Husker O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
Pete Lamar emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale,
The attached image is likely the last freshwater fish of 2023. Caught over the weekend in a local pond during the warm rainy weather. It was strange to be fishing in late December with no gloves, no chopping holes in the ice, etc.
Rob Abouchar messaged the photo above and below, and this:
Hi Dale
Happy Holidays! The gifts of the extended open water season kept on giving over the weekend. When the ice cleared for a third time i hit the bait store for a dozen large golden roach minnows. Saturday using a slip float split shot and a worm hook or kalins Google eye jig on the business end the bass were on the feed. I caught some of what i thought were the biggest bass of the year from island lake. That was untill sunday when i caught a couple more one of which was truly a giant of the season. When i netted it i was dumbfounded thinking is this the end of December...? The feedbag action continued with another chunky largemouth then my personal best yellow bass. I was down to the last minnow when the float plunged below violently. setting the hook on what I thought was a big catfish, the fish thrashed and made a run. The fish ran by the dock and i saw it was a toothy critter. I landed a nice 26 inch pike to end the Christmas eve bonanza. Not sure how the conditions had the fish feeding so aggressively but it was a full moon.
On the music front a gig with midnight mile on the calendar for January 26 at main street outfitters in waucanda, the Bob Marley bash in February with hurricane reggae band and Gozortenplat in talks for a trip to Las Vegas to perform with Ray White of Frank Zappa fame. During the holiday break I’ll be working on some demos of original cuts for recording in the coming months. The gift of music keeps on giving and im giving thanks!
Tight lines and good health!
Rob
And my Tuesday is made with the music report.
He added:
Unbelievable dock action over weekend
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Water levels are down, so be careful navigating and launching. No ice.
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: Stratton Lock and Dam is closed through April 30, 2024.
COOLING LAKES
Braidwood, Heidecke and LaSalle are closed.
DOWNSTATE
EMIQUON PRESERVE: Open. Access permits and liability waivers are available Tuesday to Saturday at Dickson Mounts Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Randy Smith, Illinois River project director for The Nature Conservancy, emailed this year’s end overview:
I haven’t heard any good reports from bass anglers this year, but the folks chasing crappie and catfish have done well. Finding the old ditches that are now underwater and fishing the bottoms for catfish or the vertical sides for crappie seems to be the strategy.
SPRING LAKE: Through the end of Canada goose season, both boat launching and bank fishing is allowed after 1 p.m. The Sky Ranch Road ramp is open with boating allowed north of Sky Ranch Rd bridge and south down to the buoy markers and sign at Maple Island.
POWERTON: Bank fishing is open. Boat fishing reopens Feb. 15.
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed.
SHELBYVILLE: Check with Ken Wilson of Lithia Guide Service.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Check with Jason Johns of Boneyard Fishing.
FOX RIVER
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
. . .
I also fished a Fox trib late last week. All the rain raised water levels only slightly and didn’t affect clarity at all. I didn’t get into the same numbers as the previous outing, but there was variety: smallmouth, bluegill and rock bass. I even had a sucker hooked long enough to get a good look at it.
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN
Lance LaVine at Howie’s Tackle in Sturgeon Bay emailed last week:
Good morning fellas…..here is a little run-down on what is going on and what we hope will be going on here in the very near future
As for the ice fishing….there is currently NO ice to be found in Door County other than in everyone’s cocktails as they daydream about 2 feet of solid ice and Whitefish dancing in their heads. So for now, fishermen are scratching their itch by sitting on some of the public docks Perch fishing, Pike fishing and casting for some Brown Trout. There has also been a handful of folks still taking their boats out and chasing around some Walleyes, Bass, Perch, Pike and even some open water Whitefish. We hope that Santa Claus will bring us some cold temperatures so we can get out on the ice in January
Thanks,
Lance LaVine
Howie’s Tackle & Archery LLC 1309 Green Bay Rd Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 www.howiestackle.com P: (920)746-9916
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris emailed:
Fishing Report – 12/25/2023
Mike Norris
Big Green Lake: Anglers in boats are trolling crankbaits for walleyes early morning and from sunset into the night. Smallmouth bass are catchable on live suckers slow-trolled on primary break lines. Northern pike up to 40+ inches is a bonus. While the calendar usually extends into January before this lake freezes up, this is the first time in 15 years that I’ve seen all the boat launches ice-free this late in the year. It may be well into the first week of January before nighttime temperatures dip into the teens.
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
LAKEFRONT
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Good morning Dale,
Perch fishing still the hot topic.Navy Pier and the 85th area has been mostly good, its the timing that has been the key factor in catching. Some days they are early other days they bite later but hey, those who are true perch anglers know this is how perch tend to do it. Other than Diversey harbor which has been pretty good for perch I haven’t heard about the other harbors.
Quite a few Lake Trout mixed in with the perch. Steelhead still being caught here and there. A possible Brown Trout but nothing I’m for sure about.
Well this is Tuesday December 26th and as unreal as it seems to have been open for Christmas for the first time in this bait shops 88 year history it is time to close for the 2023 season. The Park District was gracious and let us stay open during this mild weather and I thank them for that. Have a happy new year and a safe winter. See you in March!
SALMON SNAGGING: Snagging ends Sunday, Dec. 31.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
Staff at D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop said ice fishing is not expected for the holiday weekend; but boaters are still gettig out and catching walleye, particularly on Monona and Mendota.
MAZONIA
Fishing reopens Wednesday, Dec. 27, at both units. Any ice fishing is at your own risk.
Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed the photo above and this:
Tough report to write, but we are on thin ice here Anglers! Fishing on many of the common spots are finding 4 to 5 inches of ice (December 26) but some areas as little as 2 inches and with forecast holding from mid 40s to low 30s by tomorrow morning, I can’t foresee fishable ice lasting much past today. With no sign of freezing temps till Thursday night (December 28), for just a couple hours and no extended freeze till midnight Friday, (December 29). Ice Fishing looks to be on hold till the better part of the weekend.
It’s a shame, people have time off, no snow for skiing and snowmobiling and fishing has been very good.
So, as not to rub salt in the wounds, nor look like I’m trying to encourage reckless behavior. I’ll just report that fishing overall had been very good for just about all species prior to this Christmas thaw!
My suggestion is to take this time to go over your ice equipment. Safety pics, creepers, float suits. Get new line on those jig poles and tip-ups if needed. Sort through your jig box and get ready for the second early ice season!
If plannng a weekend trip north, call first.
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Some perch being caught still north of Gary light in 55 to 60ft of water. Please if you catch a perch that deep keep it. Catching them that deep they do not survive throwing them back.
Navy pier has been hit or miss. Some customers I’ve talked to seem to do best as the sun goes down.
87th street slip has been packed with fishermen and some days good and some days super slow.
Boat fisherman fishing 106th street and farther up the river have been doing ok moving around a lot.
Some steelhead for those covering water and putting the time in fishing lower stretches of salt creek and lil cal. Spawn saks or voodoo jigs tipped with waxworms
Christina Petrites at Stan’s Bait & Tackle Center in Hammond emailed:
Hi, Dale. I hope you had a wonderful holiday & happy new year coming up. Here’s what’s been happening in our neck of the woods lately.
With the warm weather, fishing has been pretty good. Perch fishing at Gary lighthouse & the slips is good on both minnows perch pounders.
Lake Trout are being caught off the the pier in Michigan City, and anglers are catching Steelhead off the piers further east around St. Joseph.
PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris emailed:
Fishing Report – 12/25/2023
Mike Norris
. . . Port Washington: Brown trout and rainbow trout are cruising within the harbor and out along the break wall during the day. The harbor is ice-free, and boaters and kayakers are doing better than the shore fishermen. Try casting crankbaits for both species.
ROCK RIVER, WISCONSIN
Arden Katz, who sent the photo above, said they are catching walleyes on small Keitech swmmbaits and flies on a three-way rig at Jefferson Dam, best at low light.
SHABBONA LAKE
Through January 31, winter site hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Boondocks is closed.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said a few perch beiing caught off the new hotel north of the mouth of the St. Joseph; steelhead are improving in the river.
Paddle and Pole hosts the Berrien Springs Fish Ladder Camera.
WISCONSIN RIVER
Guide Mike Norris texted the photo above and emailed this:
Fishing Report – 12/25/2023
Mike Norris
. . .
Wisconsin River (Nekoosa): The river is wide open, and the walleye bite is strong. Cast jig and plastic combos to current breaks, and when the sun comes out, vertical jig the deeper water adjacent to the break lines. The Wisconsin River at the Dells is a decent alternative, though you will go through many short walleyes there.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
No ice!!! The river is open, with a good walleye bite in the Northport area. Rigs or jigs working, in deep water channels.
