Fishing Countryside Lake in Lake County, Illinois

• Overview

  Within Lake County, Illinois, you have Countryside Lake. It sits at 810 feet above sea level. With some 141 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. It sits higher than most water we list in Illinois. The nearest town is Mundelein, 2.2 miles away. It is 19 miles to Elgin, the nearest city. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Countryside Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Lake County include bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, pumpkinseed and largemouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Countryside Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 20°F in January and 72°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That shapes the year on Countryside Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Sylvan Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Countryside Lake is worth confirming on the day.