Outdoors notes for Oct. 18

Smart thinkers, those biologists in DuPage County.

Because our local weather patterns resemble those of May instead of a traditional fall season, trout fishing has been put on hold in DuPage County.

In fact, DuPage has postponed the opening of its trout-fishing season until one hour after sunrise on Saturday, Nov. 3.

Until then, all three of the Forest Preserve District's trout-stocked lakes -- Deep Quarry Lake at West Branch Forest Preserve in Bartlett, Grove Lake at Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve in Wood Dale, and Silver Lake at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville -- will be closed to all fishing.

In the meantime, it's full-steam ahead in Cook County for trout anglers. Local favorites such as Axehead and Belleau Lakes will be ready and waiting this Saturday. You will need an inland lakes trout stamp.

And the beat goes on everywhere else on the water.

Fox Chain: The crappie bite continues on Lake Marie, Channel Lake, Petite Lake and Fox Lake. Add to that some exciting muskie action on Lake Catherine and Channel Lake.

Fox River: Water levels are fairly stable, and smallmouth angling is steady, but smaller fish are being taken near the Batavia Dam.

Lake Michigan: We could see a re-emergence of the larger schools of perch coming closer to shore at Waukegan to the north and Calumet Harbor on the south end of the lake.

Bangs Lake: Excellent bluegill fishing in 8 feet of water.

Busse Lake: Decent for panfish. A few walleyes being taken.

Skokie Lagoon: Look for better bass and panfish action this weekend.

Hunting: The northern zone waterfowl season opens Saturday. The fly in the ointment is the weather patterns -- summer-like, if you will. That may keep mallards and whatever divers in the area from their usual flight patterns.