FishingHelps

Best Fishing Times in Waukegan, Illinois

Today's solunar bite forecast for Waukegan — major and minor feeding periods, weather conditions, and a 7-day outlook. Times shown in local time.

Today — Wed, Aug 12

Best window: 11:31 PM to 1:31 AM

  • • New Moon — peak solunar period
  • • Stable barometric pressure
  • • Light chop (4 mph wind) breaks up the surface
  • • Cloud cover (75%) keeps fish shallow longer
88
Excellent

Feeding periods

PeriodTimeTrigger
Major11:31 PM – 1:31 AMMoon underfoot
Minor☀ boost4:52 AM – 6:22 AMMoonrise
Major11:58 AM – 1:58 PMMoon overhead
Minor☀ boost7:19 PM – 8:49 PMMoonset

Conditions

Sunrise
5:55 AM
Sunset
7:56 PM
Moonrise
5:37 AM
Moonset
8:04 PM
Moon phase
New Moon (0%)
Temperature
69–81°F
Wind
4 mph (gusts 20)
Cloud cover
75%
Pressure trend
+0.3 hPa → steady
Rain chance
24%

7-Day Bite Outlook for Waukegan

Wed, Aug 12

88
Excellent

12:31 AM

69–81°F

Thu, Aug 13

82
Excellent

1:24 AM

66–77°F

Fri, Aug 14

73
Good

2:13 AM

70–78°F

Sat, Aug 15

91
Excellent

2:59 AM

69–86°F

Sun, Aug 16

79
Good

3:44 AM

65–79°F

Mon, Aug 17

69
Good

4:28 AM

62–77°F

Tue, Aug 18

86
Excellent

5:14 AM

62–75°F

Score = solunar strength adjusted for barometric trend, wind, cloud and precipitation. Time shown is the center of each day's best window.

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Fishing in Waukegan: FAQ

When is the best time to fish in Waukegan today?

Today's strongest bite window in Waukegan is 11:31 PM to 1:31 AM (new moon). The overall bite score is 88/100 — excellent. Major feeding periods follow the moon's overhead and underfoot passes; minors follow moonrise and moonset.

What are major and minor feeding periods?

Solunar theory holds that fish feed most actively when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 90 minutes). Windows that overlap sunrise or sunset are historically the strongest.

Does weather change the bite in Waukegan?

Yes. A falling barometer ahead of a front typically triggers heavy feeding, while a sharp rise after a front slows it. Light wind that ripples the surface and cloud cover both extend feeding activity. Our daily score combines these factors with the solunar calendar.

Fishing times near Waukegan

Lakes near Waukegan

Before you go

Check Illinois fishing regulations — license requirements, size and bag limits — before your trip. Planning further out? See the Illinois best-fishing-days calendar.