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Bonanza on Chicago's Lakefront: Salmon, Perch, and Bass Bite Strong
Published 7 months, 1 week ago
Description
It’s Artificial Lure with your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report for Sunday, September 21, 2025.
Sun rose at 6:45 AM and will set at 6:57 PM, so there’s still good daylight left to wet a line. The weather’s been mild all day—temps sitting in the mid-60s, humidity decent, and the skies partly cloudy. Winds have been moderate, mostly south switching to southwest, 10 to 15 knots earlier, settling to light breezes as the evening approaches according to the National Weather Service Marine Forecast. Waves are tame, 1 to 2 feet, making shoreline and pier fishing easy and safe.
Tide info from Tides4Fishing pins today’s tidal coefficient at 91, which is very high for Chicago’s freshwater, giving us robust lake currents and solid underwater movement—great for stirring up baitfish and drawing the predators closer to shore. That extra energy usually triggers active feeding, especially on the lakefront's drop-offs and rock piles.
On the fish front, here’s what’s hot right now: the late summer bonanza is in full swing. The salmon run is progressing, especially kings and cohos staging around Montrose and Burnham Harbors—these fish are aggressive in the early morning and at dusk. Salmon have been hitting well on bright orange and chartreuse spoons, especially the Moonshine and Michigan Stinger brands. For bait, skein under a float and cut baits are the top choices for targeting kings close to shore. Downriggers and dipsy divers have fooled some chunky fish out past 40 feet if you’re running a boat.
Perch action remains solid around the 63rd Street Crib and off Navy Pier. Reports earlier this morning on the Chicago Lake Michigan Daily Fishing Report mention “lots of 10- to 12-inchers coming over the rails.” The best bite windows are sunrise and just after sunset. Drop-shot rigs tipped with fathead or emerald shiners are the clear best bait, but soft plastic minnow imitations in natural colors also produced limits for savvy anglers.
Smallmouth bass are showing up in good numbers at rock piles near the mouth of the Chicago River and along the breakwalls north of Diversey, with fish up to 4 pounds reported. Ned rigs in green pumpkin and goby tubes are the go-to lures. Bass are feeding heavily in 8 to 15 feet over hard bottom, especially when you find scattered schools of shiners pushed by today’s active currents.
A few bonus northern pike were caught trolling along the weed edges out from Calumet Park, mostly on big spinnerbaits and white swimbaits.
For those bank fishing or just starting out, worms and nightcrawlers under a slip float work day in and day out on perch and small bass. Salmon chasers should focus on sunrise and sunset and use bigger, flashier presentations.
Hot spots for today:
- **Montrose Harbor**: Prime for staging salmon—best action dawn and dusk.
- **Burnham Harbor**: Salmon and occasional jumbo perch; fish deeper water transitions.
- **63rd Street Crib & Navy Pier**: Perch in numbers and some dinner plate-sized.
- **Diversey Breakwall**: Smallmouth bass firing on tubes and ned rigs.
- **Calumet Park weed edges**: Pike and bass in the afternoon.
Fish activity is strongest at dusk tonight—look for those feeding flurries near submerged structure and current breaks. If you only have a couple hours, fish sunset on the north side harbors for your best shot at kings and perch.
Thanks for tuning in to your local Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss the latest hot bite, gear tips, and weather updates.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please 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.
Sun rose at 6:45 AM and will set at 6:57 PM, so there’s still good daylight left to wet a line. The weather’s been mild all day—temps sitting in the mid-60s, humidity decent, and the skies partly cloudy. Winds have been moderate, mostly south switching to southwest, 10 to 15 knots earlier, settling to light breezes as the evening approaches according to the National Weather Service Marine Forecast. Waves are tame, 1 to 2 feet, making shoreline and pier fishing easy and safe.
Tide info from Tides4Fishing pins today’s tidal coefficient at 91, which is very high for Chicago’s freshwater, giving us robust lake currents and solid underwater movement—great for stirring up baitfish and drawing the predators closer to shore. That extra energy usually triggers active feeding, especially on the lakefront's drop-offs and rock piles.
On the fish front, here’s what’s hot right now: the late summer bonanza is in full swing. The salmon run is progressing, especially kings and cohos staging around Montrose and Burnham Harbors—these fish are aggressive in the early morning and at dusk. Salmon have been hitting well on bright orange and chartreuse spoons, especially the Moonshine and Michigan Stinger brands. For bait, skein under a float and cut baits are the top choices for targeting kings close to shore. Downriggers and dipsy divers have fooled some chunky fish out past 40 feet if you’re running a boat.
Perch action remains solid around the 63rd Street Crib and off Navy Pier. Reports earlier this morning on the Chicago Lake Michigan Daily Fishing Report mention “lots of 10- to 12-inchers coming over the rails.” The best bite windows are sunrise and just after sunset. Drop-shot rigs tipped with fathead or emerald shiners are the clear best bait, but soft plastic minnow imitations in natural colors also produced limits for savvy anglers.
Smallmouth bass are showing up in good numbers at rock piles near the mouth of the Chicago River and along the breakwalls north of Diversey, with fish up to 4 pounds reported. Ned rigs in green pumpkin and goby tubes are the go-to lures. Bass are feeding heavily in 8 to 15 feet over hard bottom, especially when you find scattered schools of shiners pushed by today’s active currents.
A few bonus northern pike were caught trolling along the weed edges out from Calumet Park, mostly on big spinnerbaits and white swimbaits.
For those bank fishing or just starting out, worms and nightcrawlers under a slip float work day in and day out on perch and small bass. Salmon chasers should focus on sunrise and sunset and use bigger, flashier presentations.
Hot spots for today:
- **Montrose Harbor**: Prime for staging salmon—best action dawn and dusk.
- **Burnham Harbor**: Salmon and occasional jumbo perch; fish deeper water transitions.
- **63rd Street Crib & Navy Pier**: Perch in numbers and some dinner plate-sized.
- **Diversey Breakwall**: Smallmouth bass firing on tubes and ned rigs.
- **Calumet Park weed edges**: Pike and bass in the afternoon.
Fish activity is strongest at dusk tonight—look for those feeding flurries near submerged structure and current breaks. If you only have a couple hours, fish sunset on the north side harbors for your best shot at kings and perch.
Thanks for tuning in to your local Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss the latest hot bite, gear tips, and weather updates.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please 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.