Winter Storm Advisory: Tough Fishing Conditions on Lake Michigan

Hey folks, it's Artificial Lure here with your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report for Saturday, November 29th, 2025.

Well, we've got ourselves a real winter day shaping up. A winter storm warning is in effect from 3 a.m. this morning through 6 a.m. tomorrow, so conditions are going to be challenging out there. Expect 6 to 12 inches of snow with the heaviest action hitting this afternoon—we're talking 1 to 2 inches per hour from noon through 6 p.m. Winds are gusting up to 30 mph with wind chills dropping into the teens and twenties. Sunrise was around 6:40 a.m., and sunset comes early at 4:18 p.m., so you've got a tight window today.

As for the bite, we're still in that solid fall run pattern. Chinook and coho salmon are pushing into the harbors—Montrose, Diversey, and Burnham are your best bets. Dawn and dusk are prime, though today that window's getting squeezed tight by the storm. Work spoons, crankbaits, and skein under floats along the pier heads and harbor mouths. Those north winds we've been getting actually stack the bait, so that's working in our favor when conditions allow.

Steelhead are showing on the structure with bright spoons and waxies on jigs, especially around the warmwater discharges. Lake trout are prowling the breakwalls—slow-roll swimbaits or bounce heavy blade baits in 15 to 30 feet of water. Inside the harbors and Chicago River, smallmouth and largemouth bass are feeding up on shad. Target current seams and marina corners with ned rigs, jerkbaits, and small swim jigs.

For hot spots, I'd suggest hitting the Diversey Harbor mouth early before this storm really intensifies, or post up at Montrose Pier if you've got the grit for the conditions. Just be smart—visibility is going to get dicey, and those roads will be treacherous.

Thanks for tuning in, folks. Make sure you subscribe for more updates and stay safe out there this weekend.

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