Little Rocky Run Lake in Hancock County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Little Rocky Run Lake in Hancock County, Illinois. The ground round it is pine and birch. At about 26 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.4 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Most waters listed here for Hancock County are larger. For supplies, Warsaw is 6 miles out. Keokuk is 8.7 miles and Hamilton 9.4 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Little Rocky Run Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Public occurrence data for Hancock County names green sunfish, white sucker, johnny darter and orangethroat darter. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work Little Rocky Run Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 24°F in January and 77°F in July. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid March. In an average year the thaw lands around mid March and the freeze near late December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It sets the rhythm of the year at Little Rocky Run Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Baxter Lake is 7.3 miles off. For Little Rocky Run Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.