Lake Michigan Hot Spot Report: Coho Action and Smallmouth Structure in Early Summer

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report. We’re in a warm early‑summer pattern on the big lake. Overnight temps slid through the low 60s, climbing toward the mid to upper 70s this afternoon with light southwest wind early, building to a breezy chop later. Skies are partly cloudy with decent sunshine windows, and humidity is up just enough to make it feel sticky on the piers. Sunrise came early over the lake and sunset will stretch well into the evening, giving you a long, fishable day with prime low‑light windows at both ends. Lake Michigan doesn’t have true tides, but we’re seeing the usual seiche‑driven water level bumps with the southwest wind pushing water around. That means you can expect slightly higher water and a bit more surge on the outer walls by midday. Early morning, water temps nearshore are hanging in the low to mid‑60s, cooler where there’s recent north wind or discharge. Nearshore trout and salmon action has been solid. This past week, charter captains out of Burnham and Diversey have been putting good numbers of coho and a few chunky kings in the box in 60–120 feet of water, with bonus lake trout and the occasional steelhead. Coho are still the headliner, running eater‑size with some bigger fish mixed in. Kings are fewer but quality when they show. Lakers are steady on the bottom humps. Best producers have been bright spoons and small flasher‑fly combos. Run orange and red‑dodger rigs with green or blue flies for coho, and larger silver or UV spoons for kings. Thin‑fin–style crankbaits and shallow‑running stickbaits in orange, firetiger, and chrome/blue are still taking fish higher in the column early and late. When the sun gets high, get your presentations down with dipsies and riggers. From shore, the bite’s been a mixed bag but worth the effort. Perch reports are scattered; a few better catches have come from deeper bends and rock transitions rather than straight harbor walls. Minnows, soft‑shells when you can get them, and small pieces of shrimp on drop‑shot or simple bottom rigs are the go‑to. Downsized jigging spoons and tiny paddle‑tails in natural shad or gold can pick off the more aggressive fish. Smallmouth bass around the Chicago lakefront structure have been active in that low‑light window. Rocks, pier corners, and current edges are holding fish. Ned rigs, 3–4 inch tubes in green pumpkin, and small swimbaits have been doing work. If you like power fishing, squarebill crankbaits ticking the rocks and 1/4‑ounce spinnerbaits in white or white/chartreuse are classic producers when there’s a bit of chop. Couple of hot spots to circle today: – Montrose Harbor and the adjacent horseshoe and outer wall. Good mixed bag potential: smallmouth along the rocks, a shot at perch, and occasional trout or salmon cruising the edges when the bait’s in. Work the inside early, then slide to the lake side as the sun climbs. – Burnham Harbor and the mouth of the harbor. Inside walls for perch and panfish on live bait, outside rocks for smallmouth and the odd trout. If you can get out a bit deeper by boat, that 60–90 foot band off Burnham has been a consistent coho and laker zone. For bait, keep it simple: fatheads or golden shiners, nightcrawlers for panfish and bass, and fresh spawn sacs if you’re targeting trout and salmon from shore. For artificials, think contrast: bright and flashy early and when it’s overcast, more natural chrome and shad tones as the sun gets high and the water clears. That’s your Lake Michigan Chicago 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