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Fishing Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore: what the data says
631,659-acre section. Chicago to Michigan City: the spring coho run, summer perch on the breakwalls and smallmouth on the harbor riprap. The lake tops out around 258 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Coho Salmon fishing at Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore
Spring coho salmon on Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Navy Pier breakwater: a gravel shoal around 14 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Chinook Salmon fishing at Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore
Spring chinook salmon on Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore hold shallow, usually 5 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 30 to 90 ft. Deep hole is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 94 ft, rated prime for summer chinook salmon. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Steelhead fishing at Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore
Spring steelhead on Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore hold shallow, usually 3 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 45 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Navy Pier breakwater: a gravel shoal around 14 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Brown Trout fishing at Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore
Spring brown trout on Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for summer brown trout. Best bite is after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore
Spring yellow perch on Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 10 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 10 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 171 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 165 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 163 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 103 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 94 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 94 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 89 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 85 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 79 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 77 ft
- Deep break: drop-off, around 77 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 67 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 67 ft
- Deep break: drop-off, around 64 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore?
Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore is about 258 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, yellow perch, chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, brown trout on Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore?
Deep hole is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 94 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore?
For coho salmon, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Des Plaines River · Kankakee River · Boulder Lake · Fox River · Shabbona Lake · Olson Lake
See how Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois
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