Peterson Lake Fishing in Knox County, Illinois

• Overview

  Within Knox County, Illinois, you have Peterson Lake. The bank is 751 feet above sea level. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Knoxville at 8.6 miles is the nearest place to stop. Galesburg is 12 miles and Galva 14 miles. Not far off: Manson Heights Lake at about 0.4 miles, North Lake (1.3 miles), South Lake at about 1.4 miles, Spoon Lake (1.9 miles) and Corn Crib Lake at about 2.1 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Peterson Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Records held for Knox County cover johnny darter, largemouth bass, white sucker, slenderhead darter and golden redhorse. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Peterson Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 75°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually goes in mid March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Climate figures give an open season running mid March to mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Peterson Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. You can launch: the ramp is half a mile away. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Manson Heights Lake, 0.4 miles out. Treat Peterson Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.