Keene Lake Fishing Guide, Cook County, Illinois

• Overview

  Keene Lake is a Cook County water, in Illinois. The bank gives way to lake country bush. At about 47 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. It ranks high for size among our Cook County listings. Barrington Hills sits 0.9 miles from the bank. Barrington is 1.6 miles away, with Inverness at 2.9 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Keene Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Fish documented in Cook County include common carp, bluegill, green sunfish, gizzard shad and goldfish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Keene Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 72°F in July and bottom out at 21°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late March. Average temperatures cross freezing around late March in spring and again near mid December in autumn. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That shapes the year on Keene Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. For the carp, bait a margin spot and sit on it; corn and bread still work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Hawthorn Lake, 0.4 miles away. Rules at Keene Lake are worth checking on the day.