Griswold Lake Fishing Guide, McHenry County, Illinois

• Overview

  You will find Griswold Lake in McHenry County, Illinois. The land about it is lake country bush. At about 153 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. A shoreline of some 1.7 miles keeps the choices simple. The closest town, Island Lake, is 1.6 miles distant. For a city, Elgin is 17 miles off. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Griswold Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in McHenry County include bluegill, largemouth bass, green sunfish and pumpkinseed. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The shape of Griswold Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 72°F and January near 20°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. Averages place the thaw at late March and the freeze at mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Griswold Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Island Lake at 1.4 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Griswold Lake in what we hold.