31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) fishing conditions · Illinois

Now until 7 pmYellow perch

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 55°, close to the 58° yellow perch like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Right now: 100 for yellow perch, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Yellow perch, hour by hour

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.

1003 pm
100
100
1006 pm
90
90
909 pm
90
90
90Sun
90
90
903 am
90
90
906 am
90
90
909 am
90
90
9012 pm
90
90
903 pm
90
90
906 pm
90
90
909 pm
90
90
90Mon
90
90

Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Water: 55°F
Wind: 10 mph
Light: Daylight
Sky: Sunny
Air: 51°F
Barometer: Falling
Moon: 5% lit

What’s biting

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.

Yellow perch

Perca flavescens

100GoNow until 7 pm

Water

55°

35°45–70° · ideal 58°80°

Why

Right in yellow perch's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

15 a day

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

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Jun, Oct–Dec, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on yellow perch

Coho salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

100GoNow until 7 pm

Water

55°

34°44–58° · ideal 53°68°

Why

Right in coho salmon's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 10–120 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 5 a day

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

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

100GoNow until 7 pm

Water

55°

35°45–68° · ideal 55°78°

Why

Right in brown trout's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 5 a day

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

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on brown trout

Chinook salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

92GoNow until 7 pm

Water

55°

32°42–58° · ideal 50°68°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside chinook salmon's active range. Holds 15–150 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 5 a day

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

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon

Steelhead

Oncorhynchus mykiss

92GoNow until 7 pm

Water

55°

30°40–55° · ideal 48°65°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside steelhead's active range. Holds 2–60 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 5 a day

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

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Oct–Apr. More on steelhead

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

92GoNow until 7 pm

Water

55°

45°55–78° · ideal 68°88°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside smallmouth bass's active range. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

21" minimum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois Lake Michigan: largemouth or smallmouth, 21" minimum, 1 a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Illinois

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Nov, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on smallmouth bass

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

92GoNow until 7 pm

Water

55°

45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside largemouth bass's active range. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

21" minimum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Illinois Lake Michigan: largemouth or smallmouth, 21" minimum, 1 a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Illinois

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Nov, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on largemouth bass

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

92GoNow until 7 pm

Water

55°

42°52–86° · ideal 72°96°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside common carp's active range. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

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 20 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

The water

Water temperature55°F
Seas2.3 ft at the nearest buoy
Barometer30.23 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunset today4:38 pm
Sunrise tomorrow6:31 am
MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
Minor solunarToday 3:10 pm–4:10 pm
Major solunarTonight 9:40 pm–11:40 pm
Minor solunarTomorrow 5:40 am–6:40 am

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

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

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

About this spot

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.

WaterLake Michigan
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesIllinois
WhereCook County · 41.8378, -87.6053

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Marquette Park Beach (Gary, Miller Beach)23 mi · IndianaBest now until Monday 4 am

100Go

Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)37 mi · IndianaBest now until 8 pmSmall Craft Advisory

91Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)?

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.

When is the best time to fish at 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)?

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.

What kind of access does 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) have?

31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)?

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.

Is 31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) tidal water?

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.