Horsetail Lake Fishing near Palos Park, Illinois

• Overview

  Set in Cook County, Horsetail Lake is an Illinois water. Elevation runs to 728 feet. The water measures roughly 10 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. You are 2.1 miles from Palos Park. Further out sit Orland Park (2.9 miles) and Palos Hills (3.4 miles). The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Horsetail Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Cook County include common carp, bluegill, green sunfish and gizzard shad. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Horsetail Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 74°F and January about 22°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid March, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around mid March and the freeze near mid December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Horsetail Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. There is a car park, Horsetail Lake, half a mile from the bank. Mapping shows a picnic spot within half a mile. Sag Valley Forest Preserve takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Papoose Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Horsetail Lake as something to verify.