Fresh Water Lake in Peoria County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Fresh Water Lake in Peoria County, Illinois. What surrounds it is lake country bush. Roughly 31 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Elmwood sits 4.2 miles from the bank. It is 17 miles to North Peoria, the nearest city. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Fresh Water Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Reported across Peoria County: common carp, white perch, goldfish and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Work Fresh Water Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 75°F and January near 22°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. After mid March the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages suggest open water from about mid March through to roughly mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. At Fresh Water Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Slurry Lake Number 1 is 0.3 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Fresh Water Lake.