Katydid Slough Fishing Guide, Cook County, Illinois

• Overview

  Within Cook County, Illinois, you have Katydid Slough. It stands 712 feet above sea level. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. Most waters listed here for Cook County are larger. Willow Springs is the closest town at 1.4 miles. Justice follows at 2.2 miles, then Hickory Hills at 2.3 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Katydid Slough

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Cook County include common carp, bluegill and green sunfish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Katydid Slough the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 74°F; by January the average is down near 22°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After mid March the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about mid March to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Katydid Slough follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. Willow Springs Woods covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Pollywog Slough at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Katydid Slough is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.