Good Illinois Lakes in Cook or DuPage County For LMB

[DebuMaster]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here. I really enjoy educational content & conversations so I would like your advice.

I am living in IL, near Busse Woods. I usually fish around there. I have been reading a lot of reports from Cook and DuPage counties, but what are good lakes I can fish from bank? I would love to buy a good boat and fish like a pro but I am a bank fisherman. My main target is always largemouth bass.

Let me know if you have any good lakes around this area (Elk Grove Village and Schumburg areas). Thanks in advance!!

[Scott F]

Go to the DuPage County Forest Preserve website and it has a list of lakes that you can fish.

[Throwafrog]

as you probably know, that's very populated area around Chicago LOL most guys don't want to give up their spots but you just got to look around, sometimes the best way to go is little ponds around your neighborhood

[Armtx77]

9 hours ago, DebuMaster said:

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here. I really enjoy educational content & conversations so I would like your advice.

I am living in IL, near Busse Woods. I usually fish around there. I have been reading a lot of reports from Cook and DuPage counties, but what are good lakes I can fish from bank? I would love to buy a good boat and fish like a pro but I am a bank fisherman. My main target is always largemouth bass.

Let me know if you have any good lakes around this area (Elk Grove Village and Schumburg areas). Thanks in advance!!

Check out the Fox River and work your way North and West of there.

 

Where at in Chicagoland are you exactly? I know some good fishing west of the Metro, but depending on where you are, it may be a bit of drive.

 

Busses Woods(Schaumburg)...I missed it. There are a bunch of good lakes as you work north towards Fox Lake...keeping going north, following the water.

 

Go west an hour and start picking up all those small rivers that you can canoe/wade....LOTS of smallies and hybrids in them.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Armtx77

[DebuMaster]

@armtex77, I am living in Elk Grove Village near Busse Woods. However, Busse Woods is not a bank fishing firendly place..I will definitely explore north towards Fox Lake.

Thanks for your advice!!

[Armtx77]

1 hour ago, DebuMaster said:

@armtex77, I am living in Elk Grove Village near Busse Woods. However, Busse Woods is not a bank fishing firendly place..I will definitely explore north towards Fox Lake.

Thanks for your advice!!

The Fox River is pretty well known in your parts. It will get a lot if boat traffic in the summer. You keep heading North, following the Fox and there is a bunch there to fish. 

I spent a summer interning in Gurnee and lived with my Uncle and Aunt. Now that was 20 years ago, but that water is still there...LOTS of pressure, but if you are willing to do some wading or shallow canoeing, the fish are there.

 

Open up Google maps and start looking at the layout of the Fox River and the chain of lakes around it.

 

West of you,  a little town called Millington is where I would put my canoe in and fish the Fox to where it met up with the Illinois River. I believe it is called Bridge st and it is a bridge that crosses the Fox.

 

Good luck

[slonezp]

Beck, Deep Quarry and Bass Lake, Silver Lake, Three Oaks in McHenry county Independence Grove in Lake county. Also try the ponds at Harper College.

[DebuMaster]

@slonezp

Thanks for giving me specific water names! Much appreciated. I will definitely try some of them...I just want to be better at fishing!

[Allen Der]

get a kayak.  that will really open up your possibilities.  the best bank fishing lakes are retention ponds.  use google earth and check out as many as you can.

[slonezp]

All this rain we've had doesn't make bank fishing any easier....another 1-2" expected over the weekend. 

[dgkasper58]

3 hours ago, slonezp said:

All this rain we've had doesn't make bank fishing any easier....another 1-2" expected over the weekend. 

Yeah, I am going to buy some muck boots for this exact reason. I am tired of having to clean my waterproof shoes.