Meadow Lake Fishing in Marshall County, Illinois

• Overview

  Set in Marshall County, Meadow Lake is an Illinois water. Height above sea level is 440 feet. This is sizeable water at about 454 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Head to Chillicothe, 3 miles away, for anything you forgot. Lacon follows at 5.1 miles, then Rome at 5.8 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Meadow Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. 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. Marshall County records list green sunfish, largemouth bass, logperch, orangethroat darter and golden redhorse among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Meadow Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 75°F and January near 22°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid March. Averages place the thaw at mid March and the freeze at late December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Meadow Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Babb Slough, 1.2 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Meadow Lake.