Early June Lake Michigan: Lakers and Coho Heating Up Near Chicago

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Chicago Lake Michigan fishing report. We’ve got classic early‑June conditions on the big pond. Overnight air temps slid through the 60s, climbing into the low 70s this afternoon with light west to northwest winds and mostly clear skies. Nearshore surface temps are sitting in the upper 50s to low 60s, just warm enough to wake things up but still cool enough to keep the spring bite going. Chicago doesn’t have real ocean tides, but we do get seiches and small water‑level swings. Today they’re minor, so focus more on wind direction and current lines than “tides.” West and northwest winds will keep the water fairly clear and push warmer surface water a bit offshore. Work the color changes where that clearer water meets any stained pockets near harbors and river mouths. Sunrise came early and the low‑light window was money. Sunset will give you another prime feeding window; expect that last hour of light to fish just as well as dawn if the wind lays down. Lake trout, coho, and a few steelhead have been the headliners for boat anglers running out of places like Burnham, Diversey, and Montrose. Charter captains have been reporting mixed bags of lakers and coho in 60–120 feet, with the better action on fish hugging the lower half of the water column. King salmon are around but spotty; you might pick one or two while working deeper spreads. Best producers offshore have been: - Spoons in green, blue, and UV patterns run on downriggers and leadcore. - Flasher‑fly combos in white/green or white/blue. - Small crankbaits and thin trolling plugs in orange or firetiger when coho are higher. Closer to shore and from the piers, smallmouth bass and perch are the main game. Rock piles, breakwalls, and harbor mouths are holding bronzebacks, especially where there’s a mix of rock and sand. Fewer numbers but good size. Ned rigs in natural colors, 3–4 inch tubes in green pumpkin, and small swimbaits are putting fish in the net. Live shiners or fatheads under a slip float will out‑fish plastics when the bite gets finicky. Perch action has been hit‑or‑miss but worth a look when the lake lays flat. Best baits are: - Live minnows or soft shell crawlers on simple perch rigs. - Small emerald‑shiner‑style soft plastics when minnows are tough to find. Couple of local hot spots to circle: - **Montrose Harbor and the horseshoe pier**: Good multi‑species zone. Early morning smallmouth along the rocks, with a shot at a bonus brown or coho cruising the outer wall if you run spoons or medium‑size cranks. - **Burnham to Northerly Island shoreline**: Work the riprap and points with tubes and Ned rigs for bass. When the wind is light, you’ll also see roaming schools of perch—keep a sabiki or simple minnow rig handy. As always on this lake, watch the marine forecast. Storms and wind shifts can blow in fast and turn a calm morning nasty in a hurry. That’s your Lake Michigan Chicago update from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn