Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure coming to you with your Lake Michigan-Chicago fishing report for Thursday, November 6, 2025.

The lake is serving up an authentic taste of winter this week. According to ABC7 Chicago, Arctic air from up north is pushing into the Midwest, dropping our high temps about ten degrees below average. Expect morning lows near 32°F and highs barely creeping over 40. Skies are overcast and the wind’s picking up strong off the water, with gusts at 10 to 20 knots increasing throughout the day, and waves building to a gnarly 8–11 feet, sometimes bigger per the National Weather Service marine zone forecast. As the week rolls on, gale warnings will be in effect, so keep an eye on wind and wave updates.

Sunrise rolled in at 7:20 AM and sunset’s at 5:46 PM, so daylight is shrinking quick—just about ten and a half hours to work with. The moon is just past first quarter, rising at 2:53 PM, and there’s a bump in fish activity around early morning (7:26–9:56 AM) and again after sunset into the evening (7:30–10:00 PM). According to WaterTemps.com and solunar theory, those windows are your best bet for targeting active fish.

Water temps near Chicago have plunged to around 32°F, right at the freezing mark. Most of the offshore action is slowing down and fish are moving deeper. Reports from anglers and recent catches show smallmouth bass and lake trout are still around, but you’ll need to outsmart ’em. Per Major League Fishing reports and local chatter, recent catches have leaned toward smallies in the current, flats, and adjacent deeper breaks. Lake trout are cruising the deeper edges and drop-offs, with a few browns showing up close to shore on chilly mornings.

Let’s talk lures and bait. If you’re chasing smallmouths, stick with reliable cold-water techniques:
- **Drop-shot rigs** with straight-tail worms (Morning Dawn is a killer color)—great for working deep breaks and rocky structure.
- **Tubes** and smaller soft plastics like Z Too jerkbaits get them biting when the bite is light.
- **Swimbaits** (such as 3–4" Storm Largo Shad or similar on a 3/8 oz head) can tempt suspended bass—start with a few casts to pick off the active ones.
- **Moonshine Trolling Spoons** or classic flatfish are still pulling in lake trout and browns when trolled slowly near the bottom and over deeper contours.

Live bait's a solid call for trout—try golden shiners or small lake shiners under a slip float if the wind allows. For browns and steelhead sniffing around river mouths, fresh spawn sacs or nightcrawlers will do the trick.

As for hot spots—two stand out this week:
- **Montrose Harbor:** Fish the inside wall and deeper outer rocks in the early morning; smallmouth bass and the occasional lake trout have been hitting tubes and drop-shot rigs, especially around current seams.
- **Burnham Harbor and the Navy Pier:** Both have been productive for mixed trout and bass, especially with the wind pushing bait into the corners. If you’re trolling, run deep near the breakwall; for casting, try the north slip and marina leads.

With the cold and lake-effect conditions setting in, bundle up—layers, gloves, and a good windbreaker are essential. Safety first: those waves and chilly winds can sneak up fast.

Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s report—good luck out there, and don’t forget to subscribe for all things fishing and angling in Chicago. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.

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