[mplant1]

So, I've read through quite a few topics and many many posts about the busse warm water discharge...I decided to go check it out for myself. Hopefully this post can answer a lot of questions I've seen a lot of people ask.

Q: Is there a warm water discharge near Busse?
A: Confirmed. Located near the main damn, just south of Oakton Street off of Arlington Heights, you will find the warm water discharge

Q: How does it look today?
A: Well, the water is pretty clear and calm. You can see right down to the bottom. I estimate that the max depth is ~5-7 feet, tops.

Q: What is the warm water discharge?
A: It appears that its a flow of water that was used to generate electricity (heard this from some dude who was talking to me at the site) that is poured into the Salt Creek (Now Busse is dammed and the overflow water is what begins Salt Creek). The warm water "pocket" is probably about 40 meters wide, and about a block long before it empties into the Salt Creek.

Q: (the most important) Are there fish?
A: Yes, but good luck catching anything worth talking about. As I approached the water, I saw many species of fish: Bluegill, Crappies, Suckers, Carp, and Largemouth Bass. I must admit, when I saw the bass swimming around, I got really excited.. There were a ton of small ones (between 6" - 10") but I did see a few Busse "Lunkers" swimming around (probably 2-3 lbers) Heads up though: You probably won't catch anything big. Those guys are smart and know to look out for fishermen, they hit the road and swim off. Most of the fish are VERY spooky. For the fish that did stick around, I tried to entice them into hitting worms and small fathead minnows. I used a basic rig of a size 10 hook and a split shot on 4 lb test.

The only fish willing to take any bait were crappies. I caught a handful of small ones.

I'd like to check it out again sometime. Seemed like an interesting area. Has anyone ever tried fishing Salt Creek off of the dam? The water levels were really high and murky today, but it seemed like a cool spot to try for walleye.

I think that next time I go, I'll set a rig for carp and bring some corn. I saw a lot of those guys swimming around.




Mike

 

[Timinator09]

warm water discharge at Busse Woods

Actually, the warm water discharge you speak of comes from the water reclamation plant off of Martingale Road, about 2 miles west of Busse. Whether they use it or not to generate electricity I'm not sure, but i kind of doubt it. I heard rumors that there is also a runoff from Alexian Brothers Hospital, that comes out at the same place, but that is unconfirmed. I have fished the discharge before, and caught walleyes there. A friend of mine and i got the courage to try and eat a walleye out of there (right out of the discharge), and let me be the first to say that i will never try to eat another fish out of there. If you like your fish to taste chemically altered then go for it. Needless to say, unfortunately, the fish was tossed. I recommend catch and release only here, unless you are braver than i am, have no taste buds, and don't care about your potential health. It doesn't matter if the fish was caught outside of the discharge or inside it. If you catch a fish even close to the area, there is a good chance that it spends most of it's time living in the discharge, which is dark all the time, and is actually deeper than the channel. (at least on the other side of the grate) I'm not sure about the depth deeper inside the tunnel of course; however, i've heard that there are cameras throughout the tunnel. This is in case if there is a problem that needs to be worked on, then the crews know where to start. It has been rumored that there are monster fish lurking in the tunnel, that of course are jailed there for the remainder of their lives, as they can't get out through the bars--JAILED FISH---LOL The warm water discharge can be a fun place to fish if you are there at the right time, but if you show up and the shores are lined with people, you are better off leaving and going somewhere else. And please, if you see people poaching small bass, bluegills, etc. try calling the DNR to report them. I tried but was unsuccessful. I even waited an hour for them to show up, and they never came that i know of. Poaching seems to be a common practice there, at least from what i saw the few times i fished there. Sadly,It is more common than not i would say. Anyway, before i go off on another Dennis Miller rant....Good day, and good fishing.

 

[Timinator09]

Busse warm water discharge...

OK, a couple more comments....
If you are going to bass fish the discharge, you should probably be wearing camo colors, and approach fishing like a herron does. Move very slowly, stay low, or behing trees. Do not go out in open, fish will see you and they won't bite. Northern pike visit this area also. Although i've never seen anything big, i have caught one about 20 inches fishing with minnows for the bass.

 

[basstrack238]

Go there after a good flood and u might change your mind about that place. I grew up around there. You will see everything that the water plant cant process, i.e. plastics and rubber. The place will be littered with rubber gloves, condoms, tampon applicators and any thing else that gets into the plant and sewer system. Its truly a sad and disgusting site my eyes. I have found much better places to fish. Hell even fishing south pool or main pool is better than smelling and seeing that, and you have a chance of catching quality sized fish. Thats just my 2 cents.

 

[Timinator09]

warm water discharge...

Yeah, i haven't fished that place for 2 years or more now. Waste of time.

 

[Timinator09]

warm water discharge...

Yeah, i haven't fished that place for 2 years or more now. Waste of time.

 

[Musky Tyme]

Definetely a waste of time now, about 10 years ago you could get in there and catch the same species of fish, but descent sizes. Now with it being advertised in the Sun Times fishing reports and on internet sites ( ah hem), you can go down in a blizzard in February and expect multiple people there. Plus that smell, blah....It was a good place to be a kid and fish, but now? no thanks

 

[mplant1]

Definetely a waste of time now, about 10 years ago you could get in there and catch the same species of fish, but descent sizes. Now with it being advertised in the Sun Times fishing reports and on internet sites ( ah hem), you can go down in a blizzard in February and expect multiple people there. Plus that smell, blah....It was a good place to be a kid and fish, but now? no thanks

I wasn't exactly advertising this location. At first I was reluctant to write a post about it, but if you type in "Warm Water Busse" in CLF's search you will find 1000 references to it.

My reluctance deteriorated after I realized that many people knew about it, there wasn't much to keep "secret" anymore, there seems to be nothing to brag about; and indeed, there is a foul odor that is quite pungent in the area. I still have my secret fishing spots kept private 8

 

[Legend075]

Re: warm water discharge at Busse Woods

Actually, the warm water discharge you speak of comes from the water reclamation plant off of Martingale Road, about 2 miles west of Busse. Whether they use it or not to generate electricity I'm not sure, but i kind of doubt it. I heard rumors that there is also a runoff from Alexian Brothers Hospital, that comes out at the same place, but that is unconfirmed. I have fished the discharge before, and caught walleyes there. A friend of mine and i got the courage to try and eat a walleye out of there (right out of the discharge), and let me be the first to say that i will never try to eat another fish out of there. If you like your fish to taste chemically altered then go for it. Needless to say, unfortunately, the fish was tossed. I recommend catch and release only here, unless you are braver than i am, have no taste buds, and don't care about your potential health. It doesn't matter if the fish was caught outside of the discharge or inside it. If you catch a fish even close to the area, there is a good chance that it spends most of it's time living in the discharge, which is dark all the time, and is actually deeper than the channel. (at least on the other side of the grate) I'm not sure about the depth deeper inside the tunnel of course; however, i've heard that there are cameras throughout the tunnel. This is in case if there is a problem that needs to be worked on, then the crews know where to start. It has been rumored that there are monster fish lurking in the tunnel, that of course are jailed there for the remainder of their lives, as they can't get out through the bars--JAILED FISH---LOL The warm water discharge can be a fun place to fish if you are there at the right time, but if you show up and the shores are lined with people, you are better off leaving and going somewhere else. And please, if you see people poaching small bass, bluegills, etc. try calling the DNR to report them. I tried but was unsuccessful. I even waited an hour for them to show up, and they never came that i know of. Poaching seems to be a common practice there, at least from what i saw the few times i fished there. Sadly,It is more common than not i would say. Anyway, before i go off on another Dennis Miller rant....Good day, and good fishing.

I hear ya Tim nasty. Remeber that Mexican kid keeping all those little Bass. We gave him a mouth full that day. The next day we saw him again but this time he was a little smarter. Instead of keeping the bass in his bucket he was tieing the Bass with a little fishing line off the shore. Regardless there is going to be poaching there. Too many bucketheads.

 

[basshunter]

Wow. It sure doesn't sound like a place I want to take my young kids to.

 

[Marabou]

mmm, poo walleye!

 

[Bossman]

re

Joe [MARABOU] I thought you loved to dine on nice plate of poo poo walleye's and farva beans with a nice glass of chianti!

 

[Crazy Joe Devola]

just waiting for a vintage pic of the exiled Fishstalker and his 30" poo walleye.....the golden yrs of fishin' the Busse sewer.

 

[mplant1]

yea... for those who aren't familiar with this site, it is a sewer for busse. You can catch poo poo fish, but after hearing from everyone, I wouldn't eat.

Unless you dig poo poo walleye