Lake Michigan
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Lake Michigan Fishing Reports
Stay up to date with the latest fishing reports from Lake Michigan. Reports are submitted by local anglers, fishing guides, and our team of fishing experts.
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Smallmouth BassTechniqueSoft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium)SeasonSpring (Pre-Spawn)StructureRock PileDefinitely a slower in Chicago for a minute as these fish seem to be getting ready to stage for spawn, and the water has been CRYSTAL clear lately. Went as natural and finesse as I could over the rocks and break walls and caught this guy here. Noticed swimbaits have been my best bet the past couple weeks. Hopefully they get a bit more aggressive post spawn!
- SpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueDrop ShotSeasonSpring (Spawn)StructureRock Pile
Calm sunny day with clear water fishing along some rockpiles. I rigged a drop shot with a roboworm and was popping it in and out of the rocks and got a bite.
- SpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueNed RigsSeasonSpring (Spawn)StructureDocks
The smallies are really biting in Chicago's harbors right now. Ole man Ned is really putting a beat down on em. I've seen some starting to go on bed and small schools coming in and out of the harbors. Jut working around underwater vegetation in and near docks. Swapping between perch and Cali craw. Then dropshotting a flat worm in between. The bangsticks are really great too!
SpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueSoft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium)SeasonSpring (Spawn)StructureDocksThe harbors of Chicago are loaded with smallmouth. Just cast in between each of the slips along the marina walls and you’ll catch em. May is also an excellent time to go while the water is still colder.
- SpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueDrop ShotSeasonSpring (Spawn)StructureBoulders
The water was a little choppy with high sun and a little wind about 78 degrees. It was a pretty slow day not a lot of bites fishing along the break wall at a marina. I was trying to get a reaction bite with some crankbaits but that was not working so I switched to a more finesse approach. I tied on a drop shot and rigged my favorite zoom finesse worm in junebug and started fishing it around the rocks. After about the fifth cast this little small mouth hit that worm hard and gave a good little fight before I landed him.
- SpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueSoft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium)SeasonSpring (Spawn)StructureBoulders
Took a kayak out with a buddy on the far south side of Chicago. It was pretty tough. Lots of boaters everywhere made for stiff competition. But we both caught a few and had a great time
- SpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueHard JerkbaitsSeasonSpring (Pre-Spawn)StructurePoints
110+1 jerkbaits have been putting in work in staging areas. Mostly deeper water so you really have to make long casts from the bank. Short soft jerks have worked much better than hard fast jerks.
- SpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueDrop ShotSeasonSpring (Pre-Spawn)StructureOpen Water/Basin
Throwing the pintail from spro and cutting it half on drop shot or using the full size on a free rig. Again throwing it into deeper water and not putting too much action into it with rod. Just working it slowly from deep to shallow and that seems to be working when it's slow.
