Hook Lake, Illinois: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Hook Lake in the Perry County part of Illinois. Around the bank it is mixed woodland. At 4 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Head to Pinckneyville, 5.4 miles away, for anything you forgot. After that come Du Quoin at 10 miles and Steeleville at 13 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Hook 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. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Perry County: bluegill, johnny darter, slough darter, largemouth bass and longear sunfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Hook Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 78°F and January about 30°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. The season on Hook Lake follows the weather closely. Autumn feeding runs harder as the light drops away.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Launch at Crystal Lake, half a mile from the water. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. Mapping shows a campsite some 110 yards from the water. There are picnic tables half a mile away. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Elm Lake, 0.2 miles away.