Lake Michigan Early Summer: Coho Bite Heating Up, Smallmouth Action Strong on Shore

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report. We’re looking at a cool, early‑summer pattern on the big pond. A light west to northwest breeze this morning should keep nearshore water fairly calm with a gentle surface chop, building a bit by midday. Air temps climb through the 60s into the low 70s with partly cloudy skies and only a slight chance of a passing shower later. Sunrise is right around 5:15 a.m. and sunset near 8:30 p.m., giving you a long, workable day of light. Lake Michigan doesn’t have true tides, but seiche action and wind setup are in play. With a west component to the wind, expect slightly lower water right along the Chicago shoreline early, with levels rebounding as the wind shifts or eases. That shifting water can flip the bite on along piers and harbor mouths, so don’t leave if it suddenly turns off; give it another wind change. Recent reports from local charters out of Burnham and Monroe harbors have kings, coho, and a mix of lake trout still being taken in 60–120 feet, with some boats pushing out to 150–180 when the sun gets high. Captains are talking 5–15 fish boxes on good days, mostly coho with a few chunky kings and lakers mixed in. Shore anglers have seen a slower salmon bite, but smallmouth bass and rock bass action has picked up around riprap and harbor walls. For the trollers, magnum spoons in green/black, blue dolphin, and bloody nose patterns, plus standard‑size spoons in orange and UV, are producing. Thin‑fin style crankbaits and small flashers with peanut flies in green, blue, and gold are still coho killers. Run them off downriggers and divers 30–80 feet down, with copper or leadcore out deeper when the sun gets high. If you’re walking the shore, think finesse. For smallmouth: 2.8–3.8 inch swimbaits in alewife or goby colors, tube jigs in green pumpkin, and Ned rigs on light line. Natural bait fans should bring fathead minnows, spawn sacs, and nightcrawlers. Minnows under a slip float near harbor mouths can still surprise you with a stray trout or salmon, especially early and late. Best feeding windows are low light: from first light through about 9 a.m., and again after 6:30 p.m. as the sun drops. Midday can still produce deeper off boats, but shore fishing slows unless you’re targeting bass tight to shade and structure. A couple of hot spots to circle: - Montrose Harbor and the Montrose Horseshoe: classic Chicago shoreline water. Work the horseshoe rocks for smallmouth with tubes and swimbaits, and try the harbor mouth with spoons and crankbaits at first light for a bonus trout or salmon. - Burnham Harbor and the outer breakwall: good mix of boat and shore options. Trollers heading out of Burnham are on coho and kings in that 80–120 foot range, while shore casters can work crankbaits and live bait along the outer rocks for bass and the odd trout. That’s your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing rundown 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