Lake Michigan Fishing Report: Windy Conditions, Cold Front Bite, and Prime Morning Feeding

Good morning folks, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Michigan and Chicago area fishing report for Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025.

Let's start with the weather. We're looking at southwest winds running 15 to 25 knots, becoming west 15 to 25 knots in the afternoon. A small craft advisory is in effect from midnight last night through 9 AM this morning, so keep that in mind if you're heading out on the water. We've got a slight chance of snow showers in the morning with snow showers likely in the afternoon, and waves are building to 3 to 5 feet. The sun came up at 6:32 this morning and will set at 7:16 PM tonight, giving us just over 12 hours of daylight.

For the bite, the morning feeding window is prime time right now. Your major feeding times are hitting between 1:23 AM and 3:23 AM, with another major window from 1:47 PM to 3:47 PM. The morning is shaping up to be your best opportunity with good plus conditions predicted for the day.

On the tackle side, the lake Michigan bite is on during these prime morning feeding times. For lures, you'll want to stick with noise-making topwaters and walking baits—those always do well this time of year. Squarebills and flat-sided cranks like Shad Raps are money when the water's this cold. Bass are grouping up tight on hard structure like rock transitions and little drains, so a Red Eye Shad worked with precision will put fish in the boat.

Recent reports from the lake show consistent action, especially during these early morning hours. The cold front moving through has fish aggressive and feeding hard before the snow picks up this afternoon.

I'd recommend heading out to the nearshore zones off Wilmette Harbor or focusing your efforts near the hard bottom transitions between Calumet Harbor and Gary. These areas are holding feeding fish right now.

That's your Lake Michigan report. Thanks for tuning in and make sure you subscribe for daily updates.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI