East Lagoon Fishing near DeKalb, Illinois

• Overview

  Set in DeKalb County, East Lagoon is an Illinois water. What surrounds it is lake country bush. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our DeKalb County list. DeKalb sits 0.6 miles from the bank. Cortland is 3.9 miles and Malta 5.1 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on East Lagoon

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Public occurrence data for DeKalb County names johnny darter, bluegill and orangethroat darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On East Lagoon the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 19°F and July at about 73°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter locks it down, and late March brings it back. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about mid December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on East Lagoon follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. You can park 120 yards away and walk in from there. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Lorusso Lagoon, 1 mile out. Check the position on East Lagoon before loading the car.