Best Time to Fish in Chicago
Illinois · Friday, September 11
🌅
6:27 AM
Sunrise
🌇
7:09 PM
Sunset
🌙
0%
Moon
The next 7 days in Chicago
| Day | Dawn window | Dusk window | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 5:57 AM – 7:27 AM | 5:39 PM – 7:39 PM | 🌑 New Moon · 0% |
| Sat, Sep 12 | 5:58 AM – 7:28 AM | 5:37 PM – 7:37 PM | 🌑 New Moon · 1% |
| Sun, Sep 13 | 5:59 AM – 7:29 AM | 5:35 PM – 7:35 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 5% |
| Mon, Sep 14 | 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM | 5:34 PM – 7:34 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 10% |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 6:01 AM – 7:31 AM | 5:32 PM – 7:32 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 17% |
| Wed, Sep 16 | 6:02 AM – 7:32 AM | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 26% |
| Thu, Sep 17 | 6:03 AM – 7:33 AM | 5:28 PM – 7:28 PM | 🌓 First Quarter · 36% |
Dawn and dusk windows are computed from sunrise/sunset for Chicago; times shown in local time. Best-window ranges are guidance, not guarantees — weather and tides matter too.
Today's best windows in Chicago
🌅 Dawn — 5:57 AM to 7:27 AM
The first light window is the most reliable bite of the day for most species — fish move shallow to feed before the sun gets high.
🌇 Dusk — 5:39 PM to 7:39 PM
The last couple hours of light are the second prime window, especially as water cools and bait moves.
🌙 Moon — New Moon (0% lit)
Solunar feeding activity peaks around the new and full moons. Overlap a solunar period with dawn or dusk and you have the best window of the day.
Sunrise, sunset, and moon phase are computed for Chicago (Illinois); times shown in local time. Best-window ranges are guidance, not guarantees — weather and tides matter too.
Get the precise solunar + tide forecast for your spot
Dawn and dusk are the reliable daily answer, but the exact solunar major/minor periods and the tides for the specific water you're fishing shift day to day. The MyFishingBuds AI Trip Planner pulls live NOAA, USGS, and solunar data to score the best times for your exact Chicago spot.
See the AI Trip Planner →Best season to fish Chicago
Spring (April through June) is the nearshore window — coho and brown trout stack close to the harbors and warm-water discharges, catchable from boats and the breakwalls. Summer is offshore trolling season for kings, coho, and rainbows over deep water. Smallmouth bass fish the harbors and rocky shoreline all summer. The yellow perch fishery (heavily regulated now, with a summer closure to protect the stock) picks up in late summer around the harbors and cribs. Fall brings staging salmon and steelhead near shore, and winter shifts to the harbors and warm-water outflows.
Best time to fish in Chicago — FAQ
What is the best time of day to fish in Chicago?
The most reliable windows are the low-light hours around sunrise and sunset. Today in Chicago, sunrise is about 6:27 AM and sunset about 7:09 PM, so the dawn and dusk windows either side of those are your best bets — especially on an overcast day or a moving tide.
Does the moon affect fishing in Chicago?
Yes. The strongest solunar feeding periods and biggest tides come around the new and full moons. The moon is currently a New Moon (0% illuminated). For the precise solunar major/minor times and tides for your exact spot, use the MyFishingBuds AI Trip Planner.
What is the best season to fish in Chicago?
Spring (April through June) is the nearshore window — coho and brown trout stack close to the harbors and warm-water discharges, catchable from boats and the breakwalls. Summer is offshore trolling season for kings, coho, and rainbows over deep water. Smallmouth bass fish the harbors and rocky shoreline all summer. The yellow perch fishery (heavily regulated now, with a summer closure to protect the stock) picks up in late summer around the harbors and cribs. Fall brings staging salmon and steelhead near shore, and winter shifts to the harbors and warm-water outflows.
Do I need a fishing license to fish in Chicago?
Yes — most adult anglers need a Illinois fishing license. See the Illinois fishing license guide for 2026 resident and non-resident prices, who's exempt, and where to buy.
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