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Chicago Lake Michigan Fishing Report - Coho Crush, Storms on the Horizon
Published 10 months, 1 week ago
Description
Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report for June 18, 2025.
We’ve got a classic Midwest summer start shaping up today—expect moderate to heavy rain with some thunder early, and temps reaching up to 86 degrees with a low around 68. That rain’s not here for long, but it will push some fish shallow and stir things up on the breakwalls and harbors. Sunrise was at 5:16 AM, and sunset’s coming up at 8:29 PM, so there’s still plenty of daylight to play with. The National Weather Service has us pegged for south winds at 10 to 20 knots, building waves up to 1–3 feet. Those winds will keep the water moving, so watch your drift and troll lines, especially with those afternoon gusts.
Salmon action continues to be hot, especially Coho. Reports from Silver King Charters up the lake say they’re still seeing limit or near-limit catches outside Milwaukee, all the way down the shoreline to Chicago. Most of the catch is Coho, with a few big Chinook in the mix—up to 16 pounds. The key to the bite has been trolling with small peanut flies on orange dodgers and flashers, with mono dipsies set shallow (around 12–20 feet on the counter). Board rods dressed with orange B&B or Derks flashers are turning fish too—try speeds a touch faster than normal to keep you on top of those active schools. If you want a change, try double spoons on the deep riggers. They’ll pick off bonus Chinook if the Coho bite slows.
For those fishing on foot, the Indiana DNR reports Coho action is still solid around the Illinois line, especially from boats working close to shore, but don’t overlook shore casting at Montrose and Burnham Harbors. Early-morning and late-evening are primetime. Alewives are moving in thick, drawing predators; so match the hatch with small silver or blue spoons, Kastmasters, or a classic orange-and-gold J-9 Rapala. Live baiters can do well with lively minnows or shrimp under a float.
Steelhead are picking up on the Manistee River and should be staging at the mouths of local tribs soon, so keep an eye out for surface activity near river inflows.
Hot spots today:
- The Montrose Horseshoe and harbor mouth—aggressive Coho pushing bait in close.
- Calumet Park breakwall—great for shore casters using spoons or nightcrawlers under floats, especially with this morning’s cloud cover and stirred-up water.
With changing weather and a stormy push this morning, be mindful of conditions—wear your PFD, tell someone where you’re headed, and check the radar before you launch or wade out.
Thanks for tuning in to your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for daily updates to stay ahead of the bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
We’ve got a classic Midwest summer start shaping up today—expect moderate to heavy rain with some thunder early, and temps reaching up to 86 degrees with a low around 68. That rain’s not here for long, but it will push some fish shallow and stir things up on the breakwalls and harbors. Sunrise was at 5:16 AM, and sunset’s coming up at 8:29 PM, so there’s still plenty of daylight to play with. The National Weather Service has us pegged for south winds at 10 to 20 knots, building waves up to 1–3 feet. Those winds will keep the water moving, so watch your drift and troll lines, especially with those afternoon gusts.
Salmon action continues to be hot, especially Coho. Reports from Silver King Charters up the lake say they’re still seeing limit or near-limit catches outside Milwaukee, all the way down the shoreline to Chicago. Most of the catch is Coho, with a few big Chinook in the mix—up to 16 pounds. The key to the bite has been trolling with small peanut flies on orange dodgers and flashers, with mono dipsies set shallow (around 12–20 feet on the counter). Board rods dressed with orange B&B or Derks flashers are turning fish too—try speeds a touch faster than normal to keep you on top of those active schools. If you want a change, try double spoons on the deep riggers. They’ll pick off bonus Chinook if the Coho bite slows.
For those fishing on foot, the Indiana DNR reports Coho action is still solid around the Illinois line, especially from boats working close to shore, but don’t overlook shore casting at Montrose and Burnham Harbors. Early-morning and late-evening are primetime. Alewives are moving in thick, drawing predators; so match the hatch with small silver or blue spoons, Kastmasters, or a classic orange-and-gold J-9 Rapala. Live baiters can do well with lively minnows or shrimp under a float.
Steelhead are picking up on the Manistee River and should be staging at the mouths of local tribs soon, so keep an eye out for surface activity near river inflows.
Hot spots today:
- The Montrose Horseshoe and harbor mouth—aggressive Coho pushing bait in close.
- Calumet Park breakwall—great for shore casters using spoons or nightcrawlers under floats, especially with this morning’s cloud cover and stirred-up water.
With changing weather and a stormy push this morning, be mindful of conditions—wear your PFD, tell someone where you’re headed, and check the radar before you launch or wade out.
Thanks for tuning in to your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for daily updates to stay ahead of the bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.