Early Summer Lake Michigan: Coho, Kings, and Smallmouth On the Bite

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Chicago–Lake Michigan fishing report. We’re sitting under a classic early‑summer pattern. According to the National Weather Service Chicago office, winds today are light to moderate out of the northeast this morning, laying down to a gentle onshore breeze by afternoon, with temps along the lakefront topping out in the low 70s. Skies are partly cloudy with only a slight chance of a passing shower. Sunrise was right around 5:15 a.m. and sunset will be near 8:30 p.m., giving you a long, fishable day on the big pond. Lake Michigan doesn’t have true tides, but U.S. Army Corps and Great Lakes buoys are showing normal water levels with just minor seiche-related fluctuation. That means no big water-level swings to worry about, just keep an eye on wind shifts if you’re in a small boat or kayak. On the fishing side, local charter captains and Chicago lakefront regulars have been reporting solid mixed bags. Out deeper, boats working 80–140 feet off Chicago and out of Montrose and Diversey have been hitting good numbers of **coho and king salmon**, plus some **steelhead** and **lake trout**. Most crews are running standard trolling spreads: orange and red spoons, white and green flashers with fly or squid rigs, and thin trolling flies in blues and greens. Early in the morning, darker patterns and glow spoons have been producing, with brighter colors picking up once the sun gets higher. Closer to shore, the harbors and rock walls are giving up **smallmouth bass**, **rock bass**, and the occasional **brown trout**. Live shiners, fathead minnows, and crawlers under a float are the top natural baits. For artificials, think small: 2–3 inch tube jigs in green pumpkin, goby patterns, and natural browns, plus Ned rigs and small paddle‑tail swimbaits slowly worked along the rocks. Folks throwing jerkbaits in chrome or clown colors at first light have been picking up bonus smallies and the odd trout cruising the edges. Perch regulations around Chicago have been tight, and catches have been spotty, but when they show up, minnows on drop‑shot rigs or small pieces of crawler on a simple spreader rig are doing the work. Check current IDNR regs before targeting perch, because those rules change and they’re enforced. For **hot spots**, put these on your list: - **Montrose Harbor and the adjacent pier**: Good mixed action – smallmouth along the rocks, plus access to deeper water for trout and salmon when they push in. Work the rocky edges with tubes and live bait at dawn and dusk. - **Burnham Harbor and the Museum Campus walls**: Protected water with lots of structure, a favorite for smallmouth and panfish. Slow presentations along the rocks and pilings can be deadly, especially with subtle plastics and light line. If you’re trolling, set up east of the city in 80–120 feet and watch your sonar. Run a staggered spread: lead cores, dipsies, and downriggers covering different depths until you dial in where the bait and marks are stacking. Morning and evening remain the best windows for a hot bite, but on overcast days that action can stretch well into late morning. That’s the scoop from your local Lake Michigan shoreline. 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