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Chasing Cohos and Bass on Windy Lake Michigan
Published 8 months ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report for Thursday, August 28th, 2025.
Today started off under partly cloudy skies and moderate temps, with a northwest wind stacking waves up to 3ft early and a quick build to 7ft by late afternoon according to the National Weather Service. Showers moved in around midday and brought a shot at a waterspout or two, which always means lively water and fast-changing conditions. Tonight, those winds switch northeast and ease off, with waves settling down by morning, so anglers should keep an eye out for calmer windows before sunrise and after sunset. Speaking of which, the sun rose at 6:14am and sets at 7:32pm, so your prime bite periods are bookended nicely.
Fish activity has been up and down with the big lakes churn this week. Pier fishers near the city have been landing good numbers of coho salmon in the early hours, plus an occasional brown trout. Holland's offshore crews have been seeing cooler water at depth, with most kings coming in around 12–14 pounds, cohos a solid 6 pounds, but the "giants" haven't really showed since spring. Almost nobody’s seeing salmon over 20 pounds right now—your best numbers are coming in the top 30–50ft at dawn, before the wind picks up. Some old-timers are reporting tough conditions with bait scattered; it's been a “flip-flop” week, with schools either tight to the beach or way out past 200ft. If you can find dense marks on your sonar around 90–120ft, it's worth a slow troll with your downrigger working overtime.
Smallmouth bass have been steady on the breakwalls and inside the harbors, especially early when the lake’s still. Try topwater plugs like the World Pop 69F FB at first-light—those “Popper” strikes are dynamite under overcast. If you’re fishing after sunrise, switch to soft plastics and wacky rigs around the lee side of wind-blown points—this bite heats up fast as the fronts pass and that cool air comes in.
Baitwise, it’s hard to beat a lively alewife for deep salmon, but silver spoons, green flashers, and white flies are putting up numbers this week. On the shallow side, smaller spinners and crawfish imitating soft baits have been money for bass. Live bait rigs—especially drifted on the rivers—are turning up bonus catches of smallmouth around Stanwood, thanks to clear water and aggressive fish.
Hot spots worth checking out today and tomorrow:
- Montrose Harbor early for coho and browns off the pier (pack a rain coat if you’re heading out before dawn).
- Wilmette drop-off once the wind calms, 90–120ft for king salmon, stay ready to move shallower if sonar marks pile in close.
- Jackson Park breakwalls have been good for bass and the occasional slab perch.
Remember, conditions change fast this time of year—fronts move the bait, shift fish deeper or shallower, and move those hot bites up and down the shoreline in a matter of hours.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Michigan report. Subscribe for more tips and up-to-date intel straight from the water. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Today started off under partly cloudy skies and moderate temps, with a northwest wind stacking waves up to 3ft early and a quick build to 7ft by late afternoon according to the National Weather Service. Showers moved in around midday and brought a shot at a waterspout or two, which always means lively water and fast-changing conditions. Tonight, those winds switch northeast and ease off, with waves settling down by morning, so anglers should keep an eye out for calmer windows before sunrise and after sunset. Speaking of which, the sun rose at 6:14am and sets at 7:32pm, so your prime bite periods are bookended nicely.
Fish activity has been up and down with the big lakes churn this week. Pier fishers near the city have been landing good numbers of coho salmon in the early hours, plus an occasional brown trout. Holland's offshore crews have been seeing cooler water at depth, with most kings coming in around 12–14 pounds, cohos a solid 6 pounds, but the "giants" haven't really showed since spring. Almost nobody’s seeing salmon over 20 pounds right now—your best numbers are coming in the top 30–50ft at dawn, before the wind picks up. Some old-timers are reporting tough conditions with bait scattered; it's been a “flip-flop” week, with schools either tight to the beach or way out past 200ft. If you can find dense marks on your sonar around 90–120ft, it's worth a slow troll with your downrigger working overtime.
Smallmouth bass have been steady on the breakwalls and inside the harbors, especially early when the lake’s still. Try topwater plugs like the World Pop 69F FB at first-light—those “Popper” strikes are dynamite under overcast. If you’re fishing after sunrise, switch to soft plastics and wacky rigs around the lee side of wind-blown points—this bite heats up fast as the fronts pass and that cool air comes in.
Baitwise, it’s hard to beat a lively alewife for deep salmon, but silver spoons, green flashers, and white flies are putting up numbers this week. On the shallow side, smaller spinners and crawfish imitating soft baits have been money for bass. Live bait rigs—especially drifted on the rivers—are turning up bonus catches of smallmouth around Stanwood, thanks to clear water and aggressive fish.
Hot spots worth checking out today and tomorrow:
- Montrose Harbor early for coho and browns off the pier (pack a rain coat if you’re heading out before dawn).
- Wilmette drop-off once the wind calms, 90–120ft for king salmon, stay ready to move shallower if sonar marks pile in close.
- Jackson Park breakwalls have been good for bass and the occasional slab perch.
Remember, conditions change fast this time of year—fronts move the bait, shift fish deeper or shallower, and move those hot bites up and down the shoreline in a matter of hours.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Michigan report. Subscribe for more tips and up-to-date intel straight from the water. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.