Fox Lake Fishing near Fox Lake Hills, Illinois

• Overview

  Fox Lake sits within Lake County in Illinois. Elevation runs to 738 feet. Supplies mean a trip to Fox Lake Hills, 1.3 miles off. Elgin sits 27 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Nearby, in order: Nippersink Lake 1.2 miles away, Dunns Lake lies 1.9 miles on, Petite Lake 2.1 miles away, Grass Lake lies 2.2 miles on and Duck Lake 2.2 miles away. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Fox Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Lake County include bluegill, common carp and green sunfish. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Fox Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 20°F and July at about 72°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Fox Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Nippersink Lake at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Confirm access to Fox Lake locally before you travel.