Mays Lakes Fishing near Oak Brook, Illinois

• Overview

  In Illinois, Mays Lakes belongs to DuPage County. What surrounds it is pine and birch. The water measures roughly 10 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. The nearest place of any size is Oak Brook, 1.5 miles away. Beyond it, Oakbrook Terrace at 1.6 miles and Clarendon Hills at 2.1 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Mays Lakes

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in DuPage County include bluegill, green sunfish and common carp. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Mays Lakes gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 74°F and January reads 22°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid March. The open-water window runs from around mid March to about mid December in an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan any trip to Mays Lakes around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. There are toilets half a mile off. Mayslake Forest Preserve takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Golfview Lake sits 3 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Mays Lakes as something to verify.