Lake Michigan Early June: Coho Runs Strong, Smallmouth Firing on the Rocks cover art

Lake Michigan Early June: Coho Runs Strong, Smallmouth Firing on the Rocks

Lake Michigan Early June: Coho Runs Strong, Smallmouth Firing on the Rocks

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This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report. We’ve got a classic early‑June setup on the big lake. A cool start, light to moderate west and northwest winds, and small chop along the Chicago shoreline. Air temps climb through the 60s into low 70s with partly cloudy skies and only a slight chance of a brief shower. Pressure is steady to slightly rising, which usually keeps fish predictable and on the chew through the morning. Sunrise is right around 5:15 a.m. local, with sunset near 8:25 p.m., giving you a long light window. Low‑light periods are still the prime bite: first two hours after sunrise and the last two hours before dark. Lake Michigan isn’t tidal like the ocean, but we do get seiche and wind‑driven level changes. With today’s west and northwest breeze, expect slightly lower water along the Chicago side and a firmer, more defined breakline just off the piers and harbor mouths. That sets up nicely for salmonids and smallmouth to pin bait against structure. Recent reports from local anglers and shop chatter around Montrose and Diversey have coho salmon still hanging around in good numbers, with a mix of smaller kings and a few bigger lake trout deeper off the breaks. Shore casters have been seeing steady action at dawn tossing spoons and crankbaits, while boaters trolling 40–80 feet down over 80–140 feet of water are putting decent boxes together. In the harbors and along rock walls, smallmouth bass activity is picking up as water creeps through the 50s and into the low 60s in the shallows. Guys walking the rocks at Burnham, 31st Street, and Navy Pier have reported solid mixed bags of smallmouth and rock bass, with an occasional bonus brown trout early. Best lures right now for salmon and trout: - Bright casting spoons in orange, green, and chartreuse patterns - Size 9–11 minnow baits in natural alewife or blue‑silver - For trollers, standard and mag spoons in orange/UV, plus small flasher‑fly combos in green and white For smallmouth: - 3–4 inch tube jigs in green pumpkin or goby colors - Ned rigs with natural‑tone plastics - Small paddle‑tail swimbaits on light jigheads for covering water - On calmer, sunny afternoons, finesse drop‑shot rigs with goby‑style baits Best bait: - Spawn sacs and skein for trout and salmon under a float near harbor mouths - Golden shiners or fathead minnows on slip‑floats around the rocks for mixed species - Nightcrawlers drifted near the bottom will still catch just about anything this time of year A couple of hotspot suggestions: Montrose Harbor and the adjacent pier: Good mix of shore‑accessible coho, the odd king, lake trout out deeper, and smallmouth along the rocks. Work the outer pier at first light with spoons, then slide into the harbor mouths with live bait or jigs as the sun gets higher. Burnham Harbor and 31st Street rocks: Great stretch for smallmouth right now. Walk the riprap with tubes and Ned rigs, focusing on transitions in rock size, current seams from boat traffic, and any warm‑water pockets. Early morning and late evening have been the most consistent, but a light breeze and some cloud cover can extend the bite. If you’re boating, setting up just off the city in 90–130 feet and trolling a spread of spoons at staggered depths is a strong play. Watch your graph for bait pods and temp breaks; when you mark consistent arcs at a certain depth, park a couple of rods there and work that line. 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
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