Fishing at Lake Storey, Knox County, Illinois

• Overview

  You will find Lake Storey in Knox County, Illinois. It stands 761 feet above sea level. At about 111 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The shoreline runs about 3.4 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. It is among the larger waters listed here for Knox County. Head to Galesburg, 3.1 miles away, for anything you forgot. Knoxville is 8.1 miles away, with Abingdon at 13 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Lake Storey

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Knox County records list johnny darter, largemouth bass, white sucker, slenderhead darter and golden redhorse among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Lake Storey decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 75°F and January reads 21°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Once it clears, about mid March, the fishing comes on quickly. Expect the water usable from around mid March until roughly mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Lake Storey regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Launching is possible: a slipway lies 150 yards off. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Rice Lake, 4.7 miles out. None of that is settled for Lake Storey in what we hold.