Otter Pond Fishing Guide, Rock Island County, Illinois

• Overview

  This water sits in Rock Island County, Illinois. The bank is 528 feet above sea level. You can fish the entire water from one spot if you pick it well. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Rock Island County. Muscatine lies 5.2 miles from the water. The big place round here is Davenport, 27 miles distant. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Otter Pond

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Rock Island County: channel catfish, goldfish, common carp and freshwater drum. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Otter Pond to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 76°F at the top of summer and 21°F at the bottom of winter. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually goes in mid March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around mid March on average, with the water closing again about mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Otter Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Beattys Pond at 2.3 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Otter Pond are worth checking on the day.