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June 22, 2025 Chicago Lake Michigan Fishing Report - Cohos Shine, Smallies Sizzle
Published 10 months, 1 week ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report for June 22, 2025.
Sunrise hit the water at 5:16 a.m., and sunset’s coming at 8:30 p.m., giving us a long stretch of daylight to wet a line. Weather-wise, it’s classic early summer in Chicago: the mercury is sitting in the mid-80s, with clear skies and a moderate breeze rolling in off the lake around 14 mph. Water temps along the shore are warming up, which is bringing a ton of action close to the city front.
Fish activity is up, especially for coho salmon. According to the latest from the Chicago Lakefront Fishing Report, cohos are shining right now as the water warms, with most boats and pier anglers reporting solid catches. Folks are regularly pulling in 15 to 25 fish per trip, with a few chinook salmon—some tipping the scale at 14 to 16 pounds—mixed in for good measure. The action for kings is expected to ramp up even more as summer gets deeper, but right now coho are the headliners.
Smallmouth bass are also going gangbusters, with some crews landing 30-plus fish per outing, especially around structures and rocky patches near harbors and breakwalls. Captain Experiences reports that this bite is “insane” lately, so bring your bass gear if you’re after some big bronzebacks.
The hot lures this week? If you’re trolling for salmon, orange dodgers paired with small peanut flies are the ticket. Top colors include Willy fly, Next Gen, Green Howie, and Two Tone. Run your dipsies out 10 to 20 feet on the line counter, and set your riggers shallow—7 to 9 feet down is working great. For casting from shore, flashy spoons and minnow-imitating crankbaits are catching both salmon and trout, especially early in the morning and right before sunset.
If you’re chasing smallmouth, tube jigs in green pumpkin and crayfish patterns are putting in work. Nose-hooked drop-shot rigs with finesse baits are also a good bet around the rocks and harbor mouths.
Top hotspots right now are Montrose Harbor and Burnham Harbor—these spots have been consistent producers for both salmon and smallies. The stretch off the Navy Pier has also been reliable, especially for early risers working the breakwalls before the boat traffic picks up.
There’s no significant tidal swing to worry about on Lake Michigan, but keep an eye out for wind direction—west winds can push warmer water up against the shore and ignite the bite.
Thanks for tuning in to your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update, and tight lines out there! This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Sunrise hit the water at 5:16 a.m., and sunset’s coming at 8:30 p.m., giving us a long stretch of daylight to wet a line. Weather-wise, it’s classic early summer in Chicago: the mercury is sitting in the mid-80s, with clear skies and a moderate breeze rolling in off the lake around 14 mph. Water temps along the shore are warming up, which is bringing a ton of action close to the city front.
Fish activity is up, especially for coho salmon. According to the latest from the Chicago Lakefront Fishing Report, cohos are shining right now as the water warms, with most boats and pier anglers reporting solid catches. Folks are regularly pulling in 15 to 25 fish per trip, with a few chinook salmon—some tipping the scale at 14 to 16 pounds—mixed in for good measure. The action for kings is expected to ramp up even more as summer gets deeper, but right now coho are the headliners.
Smallmouth bass are also going gangbusters, with some crews landing 30-plus fish per outing, especially around structures and rocky patches near harbors and breakwalls. Captain Experiences reports that this bite is “insane” lately, so bring your bass gear if you’re after some big bronzebacks.
The hot lures this week? If you’re trolling for salmon, orange dodgers paired with small peanut flies are the ticket. Top colors include Willy fly, Next Gen, Green Howie, and Two Tone. Run your dipsies out 10 to 20 feet on the line counter, and set your riggers shallow—7 to 9 feet down is working great. For casting from shore, flashy spoons and minnow-imitating crankbaits are catching both salmon and trout, especially early in the morning and right before sunset.
If you’re chasing smallmouth, tube jigs in green pumpkin and crayfish patterns are putting in work. Nose-hooked drop-shot rigs with finesse baits are also a good bet around the rocks and harbor mouths.
Top hotspots right now are Montrose Harbor and Burnham Harbor—these spots have been consistent producers for both salmon and smallies. The stretch off the Navy Pier has also been reliable, especially for early risers working the breakwalls before the boat traffic picks up.
There’s no significant tidal swing to worry about on Lake Michigan, but keep an eye out for wind direction—west winds can push warmer water up against the shore and ignite the bite.
Thanks for tuning in to your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update, and tight lines out there! This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.