Fishing Hawthorne Hills Lake in Jefferson County, Illinois

• Overview

  Hawthorne Hills Lake is a Jefferson County water, in Illinois. Height above sea level is 518 feet. About 13 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. On size it sits at the modest end of our Jefferson County list. Mount Vernon sits 3.4 miles from the bank. Ina lies 15 miles off, Wamac another 15 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Hawthorne Hills Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Across Jefferson County, recorded fish include green sunfish, bluegill, white sucker and largemouth bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Hawthorne Hills Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 29°F to 78°F. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. It sets the rhythm of the year at Hawthorne Hills Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Peckerwood Lake at 1.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Hawthorne Hills Lake for certain.