Coho Surge and Perch Delight: Fishing Report for Lake Michigan, Chicago

Fishin' Report for Lake Michigan, Chicago - May 10, 2025

Howdy anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Saturday morning fishing update. It's shaping up to be a mighty fine day on the big lake, though you'll want to get out early to beat the chop.

Weather's looking decent with south-southeast winds around 10-15 mph, creating a bit of wave action as the day progresses. No tidal report needed for our Great Lake, as we don't get ocean tides here in Chicago, just occasional seiches if the wind kicks up hard enough.

The big news is the COHO SURGE! Salmon fishing has been flat-out excellent, with limit catches coming in regularly. Boats are finding success in 40-60 feet of water, with fish holding about 15 to 30 feet down. Small crankbaits and spoons are doing the trick - orange and green patterns seem to be hot right now.

Perch fishing has also picked up nicely as we've gotten deeper into May. The slip has been producing steady action, and I expect this bite to keep improving. For perch, nothing beats a simple minnow rig or small soft plastics jigged near bottom.

Lake trout are cooperating in deeper water, with reports of good catches in the 50-100 foot range. Trolling with bright spoons at varying depths has been the ticket. Some kings are mixed in with those lakers, but they're fewer and farther between.

For you shore anglers, there's decent action for sheepshead and some northern pike. The occasional brown trout is still being taken near harbor mouths, particularly on spawn sacs.

Hot spots to check:
Navy Pier has been consistent for perch and the odd brown trout
Montrose Harbor is producing some nice coho for shore anglers at dawn
For boaters, the area straight out from Diversey to about 3 miles has been coho central
The slip is your perch headquarters right now

Word from the Wisconsin side is they're getting pike and sheepshead in Green Bay, while Michigan reports excellent lake trout and brown trout action near Frankfort.

Best baits: minnows for perch, spawn sacs for browns, and trolling with spoons for salmon and lakers. Don't forget your landing net - these fish are running good size!

Sunrise was at 5:39 AM and sunset will be at 8:01 PM, so there's plenty of daylight to get your lines wet. The morning bite has been strongest, so early birds are filling coolers.

That's the word from the water today, folks. Tight lines and full coolers to ya!

- Artificial Lure, signing off from the lakefront