Salmon and perch fishermen on Lake Michigan also are enjoying some good catches on those days when the wind allows them to get out.

"Most of inland lakes are producing good bluegill action but the fish are deep," said Greg Smith of the Trading Post in Edwardsburg. "Some of the best lakes are Diamond, Burch and Long and they're catching them on wigglers and small leeches. At Diamond Lake, they're sitting over 40 feet of water and catching suspended fish around 20 feet. In smaller lakes, the bluegills are hanging around the 15-foot range."

Smith also added that a few trout fishermen are catching fish from Burch on corn. Larry Stover of the Tackle Box in North Webster said similar patterns are working on northern Indiana lakes.

"The hot weather is really pushing the fish deep," he noted. "At Wawasee, the guys are picking up nice bluegill by fishing a foot off the bottom in 38-45 feet of water. At Webster, they're fishing 30 feet deep."

Muskie fishing has shut down on Webster Lake, he added.

"Most of the guides have quit working during the heat," he explained. "You can probably catch a muskie or two, but the stress of playing fish in hot weather tends to kill them. That's a big reason why were not encouraging people to fish muskies right now."

Night-time bass fishing has been better than daytime action on most lakes, although some fishermen are getting bass around the weedlines on finesse soft plastic baits, added Smith.

Smith said smallmouth fishing has been fair on the Buchanan stretch of the St. Joseph River and that walleye fishing there has been decent during early-morning and late-evening hours.

Mike McNulty of Midway Bait and Tackle in Osceola said bluegill fishing with crickets has been very good on the river in 7-12 feet of water around trees and logs.

"Catfishing has been very good here, too," he said. "They've been catching a lot of channels and flatheads in 3 to 6 feet on the slack water flats. Stink baits and night crawlers have been the best baits."

Lake Michigan biologist Brian Breidert said perch fishing has been excellent off the condos in Michigan City with many limits caught of fish measuring between 8 and 10 inches.

"Water temperatures have pushed the perch inside of 30 feet of water," he described. "The area near Mt. Baldy and Black ditch was producing the larger fish."

Chinooks and some coho also are being caught in the 90 foot range from New Buffalo to Illinois.

"Three-man limits have been taken in just two to three hours of trolling," said Breidert. "Fish have ranged in size from 6 to 17 pounds. Some of the best action is found just north of the Michigan City harbor in 70-90 foot of water."