East Loon Lake Fishing in Lake County, Illinois

• Overview

  East Loon Lake sits within Lake County in Illinois. It stands 768 feet above sea level. At about 188 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. On our Lake County list it sits near the top for size. Supplies mean a trip to Antioch, 1.9 miles off. For a city, Elgin is 30 miles off. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on East Loon Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Lake County list bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, pumpkinseed and largemouth bass. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. East Loon Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 71°F for July and 19°F for January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near late March and comes back about mid December in a typical year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That shapes the year on East Loon Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Loon Lake, 0.6 miles away. Ask locally about East Loon Lake if anything is unclear.