Lake Michigan
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Lake Michigan Fishing Reports
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Reports from all past years within a 60-day time frame
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Spawn)
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Rock Pile
Forage
Minnows
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Soft Swimbaits (Sm/Md)
Structure
Rock Pile
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
51°
Definitely 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!
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Spawn)
Technique
Ned Rigs
Structure
Docks
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!
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Spawn)
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Boulders
Forage
Minnows
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.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Spawn)
Technique
Ned Rigs
Structure
Ledges
jigging along the walls, pullin up cheeseburgers
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Post-Spawn)
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Boulders
Forage
Perch
Using a Kistler z-bone 6’9 medium light, with a Diawa regal sunline braid and a fc sniper leader.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Spawn)
Technique
Soft Swimbaits (Sm/Md)
Structure
Docks
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
60°
The 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.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Spawn)
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Boulders
Forage
Alewife
Water Temperature
56°
The wind made some bed fishing challenging but we got some good smallies to bite. Never really found any gaints
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Summer
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Boulders
Forage
Minnows
A sunny day with mild waves and a breeze on Lake Michigan. I was finishing off the breakwall at the Hammond marina working baits along the rocks that make up the wall. I was working a drop shot along the boulders, and the bite was slow, but eventually, I got a bite and reeled him in.
