Fishing at Lake Killarney, McHenry County, Illinois

• Overview

  Lake Killarney is one of the McHenry County waters in Illinois. The setting is mixed forest. At about 61 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 1.2 miles on foot. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Illinois listings. Start from Oakwood Hills, 0.9 miles down the road. The nearest city of size is Elgin, 14 miles away. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Killarney

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline 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. Survey and observation records for McHenry County include bluegill, largemouth bass and green sunfish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Lake Killarney is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 20°F in January up to 73°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. After late March the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate figures give an open season running late March to mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Lake Killarney runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is a launch about 0.9 miles from the bank. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. There is a recorded fishing site some half a mile from here. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Silver Lake, 0.6 miles away.