Now until tomorrow 2 pmYellow perch
The bite peaks at 68.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now · best window
Yellow perch range 45–70°
From the southwest
Sunrise 7:15 am
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Illinois regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Yellow perch bite in 45–70° water, best near 58°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois Lake Michigan, Calumet River and Chicago River combined: 15 a day, no minimum. Closed May 1–Jun 15.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Illinois
Season here: Mar–Jun, Oct–Dec, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on yellow perch
No water reading here right now. Coho salmon bite in 44–58° water, best near 53°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–120 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois Lake Michigan: trout and salmon 10" minimum, 5 a day singly or in aggregate; lake trout no more than 2 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Illinois
Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon
No water reading here right now. Chinook salmon bite in 42–58° water, best near 50°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 15–150 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois Lake Michigan: trout and salmon 10" minimum, 5 a day singly or in aggregate; lake trout no more than 2 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Illinois
Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon
No water reading here right now. Steelhead bite in 40–55° water, best near 48°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 2–60 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois Lake Michigan: trout and salmon 10" minimum, 5 a day singly or in aggregate; lake trout no more than 2 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Illinois
Season here: Oct–Apr. More on steelhead
No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois Lake Michigan: largemouth or smallmouth, 21" minimum, 1 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Illinois
Season here: May–Nov, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on smallmouth bass
No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois Lake Michigan: largemouth or smallmouth, 21" minimum, 1 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Illinois
Season here: May–Nov, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on largemouth bass
No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 1–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois sets no harvest or size limit on common carp, Lake Michigan included. Bighead, silver, black and grass carp may not be possessed alive.
Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Illinois
Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Jun–Oct, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on common carp
No water reading here right now. Brown trout bite in 45–68° water, best near 55°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Brown trout feeds less actively under bright moon. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois Lake Michigan: trout and salmon 10" minimum, 5 a day singly or in aggregate; lake trout no more than 2 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Illinois
Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on brown trout
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Illinois DNR has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: Illinois DNR · fish-consumption advisories
A Chicago lakefront beach beside 31st Street Harbor, which has a public fishing dock. Along Chicago's lakefront and harbors: yellow perch (closed May 1–Jun 15), smallmouth and largemouth bass, carp and catfish year-round, with coho and chinook salmon, steelhead and brown trout from fall into spring.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) is listed on this site for 8 commonly-targeted species: Yellow Perch, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, and 4 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.
state agency regulations apply at 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
