Lake Michigan Fishing Report: Icy Winds, Sluggish Bites, but Perch and Smallies Still Biting
Update: 2025-12-14
Description
Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Michigan Chicago fishing report for Sunday, December 14th at 8:22 AM. We're deep in that Arctic grip—National Weather Service says northwest winds hitting 30 knots nearshore, freezing spray warnings through morning, waves 4-6 feet occasionally to 8 feet subsiding later to 2-4 feet. Partly cloudy skies, small craft advisory till noon. No tides on this big lake, but water temps are hovering in the low 40s from recent reports. Sunrise was around 7:10 AM, sunset 4:20 PM—short days, bundle up.
Fish activity's tough with the cold blast and wind. Recent catches around Chicago piers and harbors show perch starting to stack up shallow, some limits of 8-10 inchers on minnows or small jigs. Coho and steelhead are sluggish offshore, but a few anglers jigged up smaller kings and browns last week per Lake Michigan Angler updates. Bass reports from Michiana spots nearby highlight smallmouth on 1/2-ounce green pumpkin jigs with craw trailers—perfect for rock and weed edges this time of year.
Best lures right now: Buckeye Spot Remover shaky head with Zoom Trick Worm for bottom bouncers, or a green pumpkin jig skipping docks. For cold water reaction bites, try a weightless Yamamoto Senko or swim jig. Live bait kings it—minnows on light jigs for perch and trout, nightcrawlers if you can get 'em down.
Hot spots: Navy Pier breakwall for perch if you brave the spray, or Montrose Harbor for sheltered jigging. Stay safe out there, winds ease afternoon.
Thanks for tuning in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.
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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Fish activity's tough with the cold blast and wind. Recent catches around Chicago piers and harbors show perch starting to stack up shallow, some limits of 8-10 inchers on minnows or small jigs. Coho and steelhead are sluggish offshore, but a few anglers jigged up smaller kings and browns last week per Lake Michigan Angler updates. Bass reports from Michiana spots nearby highlight smallmouth on 1/2-ounce green pumpkin jigs with craw trailers—perfect for rock and weed edges this time of year.
Best lures right now: Buckeye Spot Remover shaky head with Zoom Trick Worm for bottom bouncers, or a green pumpkin jig skipping docks. For cold water reaction bites, try a weightless Yamamoto Senko or swim jig. Live bait kings it—minnows on light jigs for perch and trout, nightcrawlers if you can get 'em down.
Hot spots: Navy Pier breakwall for perch if you brave the spray, or Montrose Harbor for sheltered jigging. Stay safe out there, winds ease afternoon.
Thanks for tuning in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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