Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Michigan, Chicago fishing report.

On the big lake this morning, the nearshore marine forecast from the National Weather Service has southeast winds around 10 to 15 knots with waves running 2 to 4 feet. That’s a little sloppy for smaller boats but very workable for pier rats and harbor walkers tucking in behind breakwalls. Later today, wind and drizzle are expected to creep in, with temps in the mid‑40s, according to ABC7 Chicago’s forecast.

We don’t really fish tides on Lake Michigan, but we *do* fish light. Sunrise is right around 7:15 a.m. and sunset about 4:20 p.m., so your prime windows are first light to about 9 a.m., then that last 90 minutes before dark. Cloud cover and drizzle should help keep fish comfortable in shallower water a bit longer than on a bluebird day.

Harbors are the name of the game now. Perch and a few bonus trout are coming out of Montrose, Burnham, and Calumet. Word on the piers is that the perch bite has been “slow but steady” with smaller schools sliding through; think a handful to maybe a dozen decent fish for folks putting in time and moving around. Anglers are reporting whitefish and the odd walleye at night off the downtown and South Side structures when conditions line up.

Best baits for perch:
- Live **fathead minnows** on a drop‑shot or simple crappie rig
- **Waxworms** and maggots tipped on small tungsten or lead ice jigs, a tactic heavily recommended for winter panfish in Great Lakes articles from The Fishing Wire
- Soft shell or cut minnows if you can get them

Hot lures right now:
- Small **jigging spoons** in gold, silver, or firetiger
- Tiny **plastics** (micro paddletails or minnows) on 1/32–1/16 oz heads
- For trout and the occasional walleye: **blade baits**, 3–4" swimbaits, and classic spoons in chrome/blue or glow patterns

If we get solid shoreline ice in protected corners, think true urban ice fishing mode: simple sled, light rod with 4 lb mono, a pocketful of micro‑jigs, and a tub of waxies, just like the urban ice playbook laid out by The Fishing Wire. Stay off anything sketchy; city ice can be weird with runoff and current.

A couple of local hot spots to put on your list today:
- **Montrose Harbor**: Work the inside walls and weed edges with minnows and small spoons for perch. When the perch slide in, the action can flip from dead to fast in minutes.
- **Calumet Harbor and Slip complexes**: Good shot at perch and a surprise trout or walleye, especially in the deeper pockets and along current seams. Fish the bottom with minnows by day, and toss blade baits or swimbaits at dusk.

Overall fish activity is classic late‑December: not wide open, but if you dress warm, cover water, and slow your presentation way down, you can put together a respectable mixed bag. Focus on vertical, subtle jigging and keep your bait just a foot off bottom.

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