Lyons Lake in Bureau County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lyons Lake is one of the Bureau County listings for Illinois. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. Small at around 20 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Start from Depue, 1.3 miles down the road. Granville lies 4.7 miles off, Spring Valley another 5.1 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Lyons Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Bureau County: bluegill, green sunfish, white sucker, orangethroat darter and johnny darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Lyons Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 21°F in January and 74°F in July. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually goes in mid March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about mid March and return around mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lyons Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. The water borders Rod and Gun Club, so expect the reserve rules to apply. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Depue Lake, 1.2 miles out. Ask locally about Lyons Lake if anything is unclear.