Flatfoot Lake Fishing Guide, Cook County, Illinois

• Overview

  Flatfoot Lake sits in Cook County, out in Illinois. The surface lies 597 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 18 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The closest town, Dolton, is 1.4 miles distant. The big place round here is Chicago, 14 miles distant. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Flatfoot Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Cook County, recorded fish include common carp, bluegill, green sunfish, gizzard shad and goldfish. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Flatfoot Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 22°F to 74°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Once it clears, about mid March, the fishing comes on quickly. From about mid March to around late December, expect open water on the long-run figures. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It sets the rhythm of the year at Flatfoot Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Marine Services Corporation is the mapped marina, about half a mile away. You can park 90 yards away and walk in from there. A platform or pier sits within 30 yards. A picnic spot sits 80 yards from the bank. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Lake Cottage Grove is 1.2 miles off. Ask locally about Flatfoot Lake if anything is unclear.