"Coho, Perch, and Bronzebacks: Your Chicago Fishing Report for May 30, 2025" 346t25

Hey Chicago anglers, this is Artificial Lure bringing you today’s Lake Michigan fishing report for Friday, May 30, 2025. Sunrise greeted us at 5:19 AM this morning, with sunset rolling in tonight at 8:18 PM. The weather is a real treat—mostly sunny, temps right now in the upper 50s, with a north-northeast wind around 11 mph and gusts up to 18. That breeze will make for a little chop along the lakefront, especially as a cold front this afternoon could shift those winds more north, so pack a windbreaker if you’re out on a boat. No rain expected, and visibility’s excellent; great day to be on the water according to US Harbors and the National Weather Service marine forecast. Fishing’s been heating up as May wraps up. The coho salmon bite is still going strong in Chicago, with limits being reported both by boat and from shore. Horseshoe is still a prime spot, mostly thanks to schools of alewives in the area. Best lures for coho have been orange or green dodgers paired with peanut flies, or go for spoons and crankbaits in bright patterns if you’re casting. Shrimp, large minnows, and spawn sacs are producing well—shore anglers are seeing action with powerlines and slip bobbers too. According to recent reports, coho are being taken in 40 to 60 feet of water, about 15 to 30 feet down, but don’t be afraid to work those inside breaks closer to shore as the water’s warmed up. Perch action is on the upswing, especially around deeper pilings and the harbors. Minnows and soft plastics like Gulp! minnows are working well, with some anglers finding good-sized jumbos. Try the Montrose and 87th Street harbors—both have given up nice catches lately. If bass is your game, smallmouth are on fire along the breakwalls and rocky shoals. Swimbaits, tubes, and jerkbaits in natural baitfish colors have been the ticket, and several reports mention trips yielding 30-plus fish—just to handle these bronzebacks with care during the spawn. Trout and kings are showing in decent numbers too, with a few browns and rainbows coming from McKinley Pier and up north off Port Washington, typically taken on spoons or live alewives drifted under a float. Some bigger browns in the 10-pound range have been landed off the piers. Hotspots today: Horseshoe for coho, Montrose and 87th Street harbors for perch, and anywhere along the downtown breakwalls for smallmouth bass. Thanks for tuning in, folks! to subscribe so you never miss the latest on what’s biting in Chicago. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. 2s3d4a