Lost Lake Fishing near Carthage, Illinois

• Overview

  Lost Lake is an Ogle County water, Illinois side. Elevation runs to 692 feet. At about 79 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Around 2.6 miles of margin, front to back. Of the waters listed here in Ogle County, this is the largest. The nearest town is Carthage, 2.5 miles away. It is 28 miles to Rockford, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lost Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Survey and observation records for Ogle County include johnny darter, green sunfish, rainbow darter and least darter. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Lost Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 19°F to 73°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late March. The water is typically free of ice between late March and mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Expect Lost Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Traina Pond is 10 miles off. Where Lost Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.