Long Lake Fishing Guide, Schuyler County, Illinois

• Overview

  Long Lake sits in Schuyler County, out in Illinois. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. The water covers some 78 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Ground here is low by Illinois standards. Some 6.1 miles away sits Astoria, the nearest settlement. Further out sit Beardstown (10 miles) and Rushville (13 miles). The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Schuyler County list common carp, goldfish and white perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Long Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 76°F in July and bottom out at 25°F in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually early March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early March and starts locking again about late December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Long Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the carp, bait a margin spot and sit on it; corn and bread still work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Hickory Slough at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. For Long Lake in particular, ask before you travel.