Purington Lakes near Knoxville: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Purington Lakes is a Knox County water, Illinois side. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. It covers about 4 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Knox County standards. The nearest place of any size is Knoxville, 2.7 miles away. North Peoria is the closest city, 41 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Purington Lakes

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Fish documented in Knox County include johnny darter, largemouth bass, white sucker and slenderhead darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Purington Lakes the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 75°F; by January the average is down near 21°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Break-up comes around mid March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid March in spring and again near mid December in autumn. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Purington Lakes that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Public mapping marks it as seasonal water rather than permanent. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Gale Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Purington Lakes is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.