Dale Bowman

Coho on southern Lake Michigan continue to lead the sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report, but fishing really gets going Saturday around the Chicago area with opening days at Heidecke Lake, the statewide inland trout season and smelt netting on the Chicago lakefront (well, opening night for that).

Luke and Joe Teri doubled up once again.

Jesus Arellano, who has a cool net, caught a coho, brown trout and lake trout from shore on the same day on the Chicago lakefront.

A buck holding antlers in late March, goldfinch in spring and winter colors, the highlighted hiking at Turkey Run State Park in Indiana and American white pelicans on the Kankakee River are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

A review and overview of wild turkeys in Illinois — Ben Franklin to “increasing reproduction metrics” — going into the opening of the spring turkey hunting seasons.

A local event and one in Tennessee are this week’s highlights.

Snippets come with the background for the coming season.

Coho continuing to be the most consistent fishing around Chicago and the reopening of LaSalle Lake lead this sprawling, raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

Jack Stevens caught a surprise big sauger while targeting other species on the Des Plaines River.