Big Bend Lake Fishing near Des Plaines, Illinois

• Overview

  Illinois holds Big Bend Lake, in Cook County. The surface lies 627 feet up. Surface area is around 25 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Supplies mean a trip to Des Plaines, 1.3 miles off. Further out sit Mount Prospect (3.3 miles) and Park Ridge (3.4 miles). Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Big Bend Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Cook County include common carp, bluegill, green sunfish, gizzard shad and goldfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Big Bend Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 74°F; by January the average is down near 22°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid March, and the run that follows is short and strong. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid March and starts locking again about mid December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Big Bend Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. The nearest recorded ramp is Big Bend Lake Boat Launch, half a mile out. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. There are toilets 0.9 miles off. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Lake Mary Anne is 0.7 miles distant. Check the position on Big Bend Lake before loading the car.