Pat Hasburgh News Today

Leading this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report are spring signs on Lake Michigan and inland waters plus the perch closure beginning May 1 on Illinois' Lake Michigan waters and Wisconsin's general inland opener coming Saturday.

"We still have a lot of ground to make up before we would consider this an average winter season sales-wise," Hasburgh said.

There’s a bit more ice and mixing in lakers and a few browns with the perch on the lakefront lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

A reminder that perch fishing is closed in Illinois, the prospects for the Wisconsin opener on Saturday, and some early reports of Chinook on southern Lake Michigan lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report; but there are plenty of other options from coho to spawning bass to crappie to walleye.

Coho continue good on southern Lake Michigan when weather allows access and lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report; plus there’s a return to more wintry conditions.

Ice fishing becoming a sketchier act and the ongoing action for perch and lake trout on the Chicago lakefront/southern Lake Michigan lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

The “Bomb Cyclone” late last week built ice virtually everywhere around Chicago and led to ice fishing being nearly universal (especially when the deep freeze eased slightly), all of which leads this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report. Question is what the warmth and rain later this week will do to it all.

Perch fishing on the Chicago lakefront leads this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report, otherwise it is waiting on ice (except well to our north, where they are already ice fishing).

This sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report is chock full of perch and ice fishing.

The Wisconsin opener on Saturday, with some ice questions, leads this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.