Fishing Davis Lake in Lake County, Illinois

• Overview

  The Lake County end of Illinois holds Davis Lake. It lies 814 feet above sea level. At about 33 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. It is high ground by Illinois standards. For a base, Wauconda sits 2.7 miles out. After that come Fairfield at 3.2 miles and Hawthorn Woods at 3.7 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Davis Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Lake County, recorded fish include bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, pumpkinseed and largemouth bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Davis Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 72°F in July and bottoms out near 20°F in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After late March the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about late March to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Time your trip to Davis Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. 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. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Schreiber Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Davis Lake before loading the car.