This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report for Wednesday, October 29th, 2025.

Brisk fall weather has fully settled over the lakefront, with the water temp near Chicago hovering around 48°F according to Watertemps.com. Early this morning at sunrise, which hit at 7:21 a.m., skies were overcast, air cool (about 49°F), winds steady at 14 mph out of the west. The pattern continues: cool, damp, breezy, but good air quality and very little rain—classic October steelhead and salmon weather.

Lake conditions are lively. The National Weather Service says expect waves 8–11 feet, with gusty southerly winds building toward 30 knots this afternoon. If you’re planning to get out on a boat, check local marine advisories—this is a shore angler’s kind of day, especially in the harbors and protected marinas.

The fall salmon and steelhead run is surging. According to FishingReminder, big numbers of chinook and coho salmon are pushing into the harbors—Montrose, Diversey, and Burnham are all seeing early-morning and dusk action, especially with a stiff wind stacking bait. Spoons, vibrant crankbaits, and skein or spawn sacs under a float are working great along the pier heads. On overcast days like this, steelhead are showing, taking bright spoons or waxies on a small jig, especially near warmwater discharges where the temperatures are just a bit up.

Inside the harbors, the bass bite is not done yet. Smallmouth and largemouth are busy feeding on shad. Anglers are picking up fish along current seams and tucked away in marina corners, using ned rigs, jerkbaits, and compact swim jigs. The perch bite is spotty but perks up on calm dawns—try small minnows, bits of shrimp, or soft plastics near weed beds and pilings.

Bait and tackle for today: for salmon and steelhead, spoons in silver/blue or gold/orange, or crankbaits in natural baitfish patterns, are top producers. Don’t overlook skein under float for king and coho—firecured eggs or small spawn sacks in pink or orange. Waxworms tipped on a bright jig entice steelhead, especially when visibility drops after a blow. For bass, the Ned rig and downsized jerkbaits in shad or green pumpkin are reliable.

Hotspots today: Montrose Harbor remains the most consistent for both salmon and steelhead. Diversey has seen a steady rise in king action the past week, and Burnham Harbor is quiet in the afternoon but solid at dusk, especially on the lakeward wall. Don’t count out the Chicago River mouth and corners of the marinas—bass and a few perch are holding there, especially with some current.

If you’re shorebound, make sure to track water clarity. After a blow, a bit of stain will often outfish gin-clear conditions, so use louder, flashier lures if the water has some chop and color.

For today’s minor and major movement periods, FishingReminder says the first bite window kicked off just after sunrise, running through 9 a.m., with the next running at dusk, from about 6:40 to 9 p.m.—prime times for not just kings and cohos, but also steelhead, browns, and active perch.

Most recent catch reports along the lakefront confirm plenty of salmon over 10 pounds, steelhead in the 5–8 pound class, with solid numbers of smaller coho. A few lake trout are still roaming the breakwalls—try slow-rolled swimbaits or heavy blade baits in deeper pockets when the wind lays down.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI