Fishing at Long Pond, Vermilion County, Illinois

• Overview

  Long Pond falls in Vermilion County, part of Illinois. It sits in mixed forest. For supplies, Oakwood is 2.5 miles out. Then Catlin, 5 miles, and Tilton, 5.3 miles. Also worth knowing: Clear Pond 0.6 miles off, Peelman Pond just 0.9 miles, Inland Sea 1.1 miles off, Illinois Power Company Lake just 3 miles and Woodland Lake 4.5 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Long Pond

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Vermilion County, recorded fish include greenside darter, rainbow darter and longear sunfish. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Long Pond the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 75°F on average, January about 24°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Once it clears, about mid March, the fishing comes on quickly. The water is typically free of ice between mid March and late December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Long Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Long Lake gives a made launch, half a mile off. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. A campsite is mapped about 130 yards away, which makes an early start easier. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Clear Pond sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Long Pond may have changed since it was mapped.