Park Lake, Illinois: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Park Lake is one of the Cook County listings for Illinois. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. At roughly 6 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cook County list. The closest town, Park Ridge, is 0.7 miles away. Chicago is the closest city, 16 miles away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Park Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Survey and observation records for Cook County include common carp, bluegill, green sunfish and gizzard shad. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Park Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 74°F at the top of summer and 22°F at the bottom of winter. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Once it clears, about mid March, the fishing comes on quickly. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid March until roughly mid December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on Park Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Parking is close: a car park sits half a mile from the bank. Axehead Lake sits half a mile away and is marked for fishing. There are picnic tables half a mile away. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Murphy Lake is 0.2 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Park Lake.