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Mild November Fishing on Lake Michigan with Trout, Salmon, Bass, and Perch Bites
Published 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report for Saturday, November 15, 2025.
We’re waking up to an unusually **mild November morning**, with the mercury pushing into the low 60s by midday under mostly cloudy skies, thanks to a warm southwest breeze running 15 to 20 mph and gusting higher at times. The water will have a moderate chop, with waves building from 1 to 2 feet this morning up to 2–4 feet by mid-afternoon according to the National Weather Service Marine Forecast, so keep an eye on those rollers if you’re heading out in smaller craft. A **Small Craft Advisory** is in effect starting at noon—be prepared and use caution, especially on the open lake.
**Sunrise** was at 6:57 AM and **sunset** will come early at 4:46 PM. The **tide is minimal** as always on Lake Michigan, but the pressure change and warm air ahead of tomorrow’s cold blast will have fish on the move. **Solunar tables** peg this morning’s peak bite from 6:00 to 8:00 AM, with a minor feeding window around 1:30 to 3:30 PM. The moon is nearing first quarter, adding a little extra juice to those low-light periods.
Now for the good stuff—**what's biting:** This week, the focus has been on the last of the **salmon run** mixed with some stellar nearshore trout action. The big push of **chinook and coho salmon** into local harbors—Montrose, Diversey, and Burnham—has mostly tapered but a few silver fish are still being hooked at first light, especially on skein or spawn sacs under floating rigs and on bright spoons tossed near pier heads. If you’re walking the rocks, slow-rolling chrome or chartreuse crankbaits has enticed some stubborn coho, particularly after windy nights with stirred-up water.
**Steelhead** are picking up the slack in the harbors and river mouths on cloudy days, with bright spoons, small swimbaits, or waxworms on marabou jigs. Target them in current seams and near any warmwater discharge areas—these spots have seen bursts of fish at midday as air temps rise.
A handful of **lake trout** have been prowling just outside the harbor arms and along the deeper breakwalls. Dragging heavy blade baits or paddle-tail swimbaits in 15–30 feet has gotten reward bites, especially when the lake lays down in the afternoon sun.
**Bass** are anything but done. Both smallmouth and largemouth are fattening up on shad and baitfish inside the harbors and along the Chicago River. Ned rigs and finesse swim jigs have produced steady action, with jerkbaits drawing strikes when the chop settles. Focus on marina corners and docks, current edges, and deeper weedlines.
**Perch** have started showing again, but the bite remains hit-or-miss. The most consistent hauls have come on calm mornings using live minnows or bits of raw shrimp fished tight to the bottom, particularly near pilings and weed patches. If you get into a school, you can fill a bucket quickly.
**Top lures and baits this week**:
- Spoons (Little Cleo, K.O. Wobbler, orange/gold patterns)
- Crankbaits (chrome, firetiger, or chartreuse)
- Roe bags or skein under floats for trout/salmon
- Waxworms or minnows on small jigs for steelhead and perch
- Ned rigs, drop-shot rigs for bass with green pumpkin or shad-colored plastics
**Hot Spots**:
- **Montrose Harbor:** Early-morning salmon and steelhead, occasional trout into midday.
- **Burnham Harbor and slip mouths:** Good for mixed trout and late-run coho, plus consistent bass.
- **Northerly Island breakwalls:** Lakers and silvers when waves lay down, bass on the inside weed edges.
The general pattern: move with the bait, follow the wind lanes, and look for stained water after blow days—it almost always fishes better than gin-clear lake.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Michigan update with me, Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the latest report.
This h
We’re waking up to an unusually **mild November morning**, with the mercury pushing into the low 60s by midday under mostly cloudy skies, thanks to a warm southwest breeze running 15 to 20 mph and gusting higher at times. The water will have a moderate chop, with waves building from 1 to 2 feet this morning up to 2–4 feet by mid-afternoon according to the National Weather Service Marine Forecast, so keep an eye on those rollers if you’re heading out in smaller craft. A **Small Craft Advisory** is in effect starting at noon—be prepared and use caution, especially on the open lake.
**Sunrise** was at 6:57 AM and **sunset** will come early at 4:46 PM. The **tide is minimal** as always on Lake Michigan, but the pressure change and warm air ahead of tomorrow’s cold blast will have fish on the move. **Solunar tables** peg this morning’s peak bite from 6:00 to 8:00 AM, with a minor feeding window around 1:30 to 3:30 PM. The moon is nearing first quarter, adding a little extra juice to those low-light periods.
Now for the good stuff—**what's biting:** This week, the focus has been on the last of the **salmon run** mixed with some stellar nearshore trout action. The big push of **chinook and coho salmon** into local harbors—Montrose, Diversey, and Burnham—has mostly tapered but a few silver fish are still being hooked at first light, especially on skein or spawn sacs under floating rigs and on bright spoons tossed near pier heads. If you’re walking the rocks, slow-rolling chrome or chartreuse crankbaits has enticed some stubborn coho, particularly after windy nights with stirred-up water.
**Steelhead** are picking up the slack in the harbors and river mouths on cloudy days, with bright spoons, small swimbaits, or waxworms on marabou jigs. Target them in current seams and near any warmwater discharge areas—these spots have seen bursts of fish at midday as air temps rise.
A handful of **lake trout** have been prowling just outside the harbor arms and along the deeper breakwalls. Dragging heavy blade baits or paddle-tail swimbaits in 15–30 feet has gotten reward bites, especially when the lake lays down in the afternoon sun.
**Bass** are anything but done. Both smallmouth and largemouth are fattening up on shad and baitfish inside the harbors and along the Chicago River. Ned rigs and finesse swim jigs have produced steady action, with jerkbaits drawing strikes when the chop settles. Focus on marina corners and docks, current edges, and deeper weedlines.
**Perch** have started showing again, but the bite remains hit-or-miss. The most consistent hauls have come on calm mornings using live minnows or bits of raw shrimp fished tight to the bottom, particularly near pilings and weed patches. If you get into a school, you can fill a bucket quickly.
**Top lures and baits this week**:
- Spoons (Little Cleo, K.O. Wobbler, orange/gold patterns)
- Crankbaits (chrome, firetiger, or chartreuse)
- Roe bags or skein under floats for trout/salmon
- Waxworms or minnows on small jigs for steelhead and perch
- Ned rigs, drop-shot rigs for bass with green pumpkin or shad-colored plastics
**Hot Spots**:
- **Montrose Harbor:** Early-morning salmon and steelhead, occasional trout into midday.
- **Burnham Harbor and slip mouths:** Good for mixed trout and late-run coho, plus consistent bass.
- **Northerly Island breakwalls:** Lakers and silvers when waves lay down, bass on the inside weed edges.
The general pattern: move with the bait, follow the wind lanes, and look for stained water after blow days—it almost always fishes better than gin-clear lake.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Michigan update with me, Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the latest report.
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