Chicago Lakefront Fishing Report: Cohos Sizzling, Chinooks Showing Up

Artificial Lure here with your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report for Friday, May 16, 2025.

We’re starting the day with spring-like conditions along the lakefront. Early morning temps are sitting comfy in the upper 50s, with light winds from the northeast keeping the water a bit choppy but nothing that’ll keep determined anglers off their spots. Sunrise was at 5:25 AM, and sunset’s set for 8:06 PM, so there’s plenty of daylight for long sessions.

Lake levels are typical for this time of year, and though we don’t deal with ocean-style tides, local wind onshore can cause seiche events, so be mindful of sudden water level changes if you’re fishing low piers or breakwalls.

Fish activity is strong right now. Cohos are running hot all along the Chicago shoreline. Anglers are limiting out from boats trolling 40 to 60 feet of water, setting lines anywhere from 15 to 30 feet down. Kings, or Chinook salmon, have also been showing up with a few nice-sized fish reported, some pushing into the high teens by weight. Bank and pier anglers are getting in on the action, too, especially during the low-light hours at first and last light[4][3].

Best lures right now are orange dodgers paired with peanut flies and green or white spoons. Cohos are smashing these set-ups off the piers and boats. Don’t sleep on live alewives if you can get them, especially for targeting Chinook. Some reports have also mentioned success with black or gold-orange spoons, and for pier anglers, tube jigs tipped with a bit of shrimp are accounting for bonus catches of coho and the odd brown trout[1][3][4].

If you’re planning your trip, here are a couple of hot spots to check:

Montrose Harbor: Always reliable this time of year for coho, plus a chance at a surprise brown trout or perch. Work the outer breakwalls with your spoons at dawn and dusk.

Burnham Harbor: Good numbers of salmon being caught on both sides of the harbor mouth, especially if you toss orange dodgers and peanut flies or drift shrimp-tipped jigs.

Navy Pier: The classic Chicago spot is producing cohos and the occasional Chinook, especially for early risers fishing before the crowds move in.

Catches have been solid—most anglers are going home with limits of coho, and it’s not uncommon to see a handful of kings mixed in each morning, along with a few brown trout sprinkled in, mostly on green/white spoons or live bait[1][3][4].

That’s today’s rundown from your local source. Get out there and enjoy the bite while it’s sizzling. Tight lines from Artificial Lure.