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From the Chicago Tribune

FISHING REPORT

May 8, 2008

LEGEND: *****–excellent; ****–very good; ***–good; **–fair; *–poor

Lake Michigan (Chicago lakefront)

** Coho have departed, but smallmouth biting in deeper waters near shorelines. Perch very good for boaters in deeper waters, but fish haven't approached shore yet.

Lake Michigan (Lake County)

***1/2 Excellent coho and perch prospects between Waukegan and Great Lakes. Charter boaters report very good coho catches on tinsel flies and dodgers in 15- to 25-foot depths. Private boaters going for perch in 50 to 55 feet on large fatheads.

Inland Chicago (Cook County)

** Brown trout biting in harbors, while crappies doing well in city park ponds and lagoons. At Busse Lake, largemouth fair using plastic worms off banks. Crappie still spotty. At Skokie Lagoons, largemouth bass fair on nightcrawlers. Bluegills also fair off the banks.

Southeast Wisconsin

*1/2 A few browns reported, but Kenosha harbor fishing remains slow overall. Lakefront fishing also slow in Racine while Root River anglers have caught a few steelhead. In Milwaukee, shore anglers off McKinley Pier have caught some browns on crankbaits. Trollers finding a few lake trout and chinooks on flashers and flies.

Chain O'Lakes

** No wake restrictions lifted, but boaters cautioned to navigate carefully due to possible debris in waterways. Bass and stripers starting to spawn while walleye activity is good, especially in river and in currents. Crappies slower in recent days but expected to improve with consistent warmer temperatures. Lake Marie is hot spot for stripers and walleye.

Kankakee River

**1/2 River in good fishing conditions in both Indiana and Illinois. Smallmouth very good from Grand Kankakee Marsh Park in Indiana through Momence, Aroma Park area through Kankakee Dam to Perry Farm , Kankakee River State Park and Wilmington Island Park area. Walleye fair.

Fox River (Batavia)

*1/2 Very light activity this week, but improvement expected with spring sun warms river. Wednesday water temperature at 64 degrees. A few catfish, smallmouth and walleye reported.

Compiled by Jack McCarthy from pro and bait shops and state natural resource reports.