Musky "Sleeper" Lakes in Illinois
By
Rich GallagherWhen we think about muskies & musky fishing, we immediately think about places in Canada or Northern Wisconsin. Like pre-conditioned lemmings, we jump in our 4-wheel drive vehicles with boats in tow; and make the 6-14 hour pilgrimage to "God’s Country". We never think for a moment about what we have available right here in our own state. Believe it or not, we have some great musky lakes in our own "backyard" that have the potential to produce a state record fish. Lakes like Shabbona, Kincaid, Otter and Shelbyville usually top the list of prime musky lakes in Illinois along with the highly pressured Chain O’ Lakes. Next time you decide to get out on the water to chase the elusive muskellunge, how about trying one of these "other" less pressured lakes right here in the land of Lincoln! My list of Illinois Musky sleeper lakes that have trophy potential (30 pounder’s) includes; Pierce Lake, Lake George, Lake Storey, McMaster Lake (formerly Snakeden Hollow) and Evergreen. Let’s take a look at some of these lakes!
Pierce Lake is located 6 miles northeast of Rockford, IL off route 173 in Rock Cut State Park (815) 885-3311. This 2,743-acre state park includes 162-acre Pierce Lake. Outboards are limited to 10 hp or less and no water skiing or swimming is allowed, making it an angler’s paradise! Boat rentals, food & bait is available from May through October at the park concession stand (815) 885-3722. The park is open year round. Winter hours run from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM and are in effect from November 1st through March 31st. In season hours run from 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM and begin April 1st and continue to October 31st. This very clear lake has some great weedbeds and steep drop-offs. This is a good lake to fish early in the year before the algae bloom hits, which is usually in the mid-summer time frame. Musky hotspots include the area directly west of the boat launch. Cast 6" & 8" Jakes parallel with the weed edge in Tennessee Shad and Glitter Perch colors. The bay directly east of the boat launch has a shallow weed flat that tapers off to 10 feet. Work this area with small bucktails and 6" Jakes. Don’t overlook the small island at the West End as it has some nice deep inside turns adjacent to 25 feet of water!
Lake George is located in Northeastern Illinois about 20 miles southwest of the Quad Cities on Route 92 in Rock Island County. This 167 acre lake is located in the scenic 1,700 acre Loud Thunder Forest Preserve. This is a "trolling motor" only lake and swimming is not permitted! The 2 bays directly north of the launch near the dam are great spots to start the search for active fish. Deep inside turns adjacent to 25-45 feet of water are hot! There are also numerous shallow bays with shoreline cover on the southeast section of the lake that have access to deep water (15-25 feet). Don’t overlook these areas! Twitch baits like the 6-8" Jakes and Husky Jerks are good baits to seek out active fish. Try working the sick ups with Jackpots and Hawg Wobblers, you may be very surprised with what you hook in to!
Lake Storey is a 133- acre lake located near Galesburg, IL in Knox County off route 150. This lake is a trolling motor only lake! This stained, weedy lake has both tiger and Leech Lake strain muskies in it! The largest musky caught to date here was 27 pounds 8 ounces! This is a good lake to fish during bright "high sky" days, as the water is stained and the fish are not bothered by the sunlight. Hot baits to fish include; 6-8" Jakes in Fire Tiger and Glitter Perch, VooDooTail Bucktails and VooDooTubes in bright flourescent colors and safety pin type spinnerbaits. This lake is great for topwater baits like Jackpots over the newly emergent weeds in April & May!
McMaster Lake (Formerly Snakeden Hollow) is a 142 -acre lake located 20 miles east of Galesburg near Victoria, IL. This lake has a 10 HP restriction. The lake itself is in the Snakeden Hollow State Fish & Wildlife Area (309) 879-2607. This "gin clear" lake has depths to 56 feet and is best fished under low light conditions; i.e., cloudy, overcast days or during pre-dawn/dawn or dusk/sunset periods as visibility can extend to depths in excess of 30 feet! Long casts & natural bait colors are preferred due to the water clarity. This lake has a ton of standing timber and vegetation. I like to go with topwater baits like Jackpots & Tallywackers. A 36" limit is enforced. This is an old strip mine that can get rough in a hurry if the wind is out of the south or the west.
Evergreen Lake is an 886- acre lake located 10 miles north of Bloomington, IL off route 39. For updated lake report information contact the McLean County Parks & Recreation department (309) 726-2022. There is a 10 HP restriction on outboards on this lake and a 48" minimum size limit is enforced! A $22.00 annual user fee is required for non-McLean county residents. This lake is stained and during the summer will have a significant algae bloom. Key areas to fish include; points, weed flats and fallen timber. Evergreen has a healthy shad population so use this to key in on your minnow baits and their color selection! Don’t overlook open water schools of baitfish, as muskies are usually not far behind!
Give these lakes a try on your next outing, you’ll be glad you did! Check out my website at www.biggoomba.com and drop me a line to let me know how you did!