Ice Report: Most lakes starting around the south suburbs of Chicago and moving farther north have safe ice now. Be sure to exercise caution regardless of where you venture out on the ice, especially where current is present. We are expecting highs in the 40's some of the coming week, but with the lows nearing single digits, this should keep ice fishing going for the foreseeable future. Take advantage of a season that we haven't had the last few years, and get back out on the ice.
Panfish: Bluegill and Crappie are being caught in consistent numbers and size in relatively every lake around our area. The "first ice bite" is still strong, so expect to see good action around forest preserves like Tampier and Arrowhead. We will continue to update on more local lakes as the reports come in. Some of the best Panfish have been caught on the Fox Chain recently with Pistakee Lake showing good quality during the last week of ice. Small Ice Jigs along with Spoons tipped with Spikes and Wax Worms have been a favorite. Gulp Alive, Brushpile, and Bobby Garland plastics are also deadly with a very subtle action that triggers Panfish and Bass when the temperature first drops the way it has recently.
Perch: The cold weather is bringing the bait in tight around the slips, and the Perch have followed. Most anglers who have braved the conditions are being rewarded with quality fish and relatively quick limits. The wind forecast is perfect for the following week, with consistent South and West winds that are sure to keep the water clean, which is ideal for this time of year. The usual baits are still very effective, throw a Perch Pounder with either a Rosy Red, Large Fathead, or Extra Large Fathead Minnow as a live bait option. If the bite happens to slow, or the quality drops off, just pick up a Dropshot Rig with a Keitech Easy Shiner 2-3" Plastic, or any subtle tail action plastic of your choosing like Bobby Garland or Gulp Alive Minnows. Expect to have to break a little bit of ice in certain areas. We have heard recent reports from 87th and Navy Pier for shore anglers. With the weather about to break to warmer daytime conditions, we are expecting to once again hear more reports from the Gary rockpiles/flats for boaters.
Salmon/Trout: The creeks in Indiana seem to have a fair amount of Steelhead and Brown Trout coming through still. We are seeing a few anglers every week heading to Salt Creek specifically. Drifting a Night Crawler and Shrimp are still a go-to method this time of year, along with the usual Roe Bead or Spawn Sack. Some Shad are beginning to move into the mouth of Portage, which is a good sign for our upcoming Coho season as well. Try small inline spinners as well as a 3" Grub or Swimbait to cover a bit more water for Steelhead feeding on Shad until the Coho push in. Lake Trout have also been being caught in great numbers across the Chicago and Indiana lakefronts. Boaters have reported days up to 60 fish and some shore anglers have caught a dozen per day fishing near slips and breakwalls. The most consistent bait currently is a Blade Bait, but Swimbaits and Jigging Spoons are also very good for enticing these trout.