Hickory Slough, Illinois: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Hickory Slough falls in Schuyler County, part of Illinois. Around the bank it is rolling bush. Small at around 24 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Around 1.8 miles of margin, front to back. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Illinois listings. Astoria is the closest town at 6.5 miles. It is 43 miles to Springfield, the nearest city. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Hickory Slough

  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. Open biodiversity records for Schuyler County list common carp, goldfish, white perch, bluegill and orangespotted sunfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Hickory Slough where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 25°F in January to roughly 76°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count the season from break-up, usually early March. Average temperatures cross freezing around early March in spring and again near late December in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Hickory Slough more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the carp, bait a margin spot and sit on it; corn and bread still work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Long Lake at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Hickory Slough as something to verify.