Fishing Rich Lake in Woodford County, Illinois

• Overview

  Rich Lake is a Woodford County water, in Illinois. It stands 745 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 8 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Woodford County list. Supplies mean a trip to Eureka, 2.9 miles off. Beyond it, Metamora at 4.5 miles and Washington at 4.7 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Rich Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Woodford County records list orangethroat darter, stonecat and white sucker among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Take Rich Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 74°F for July and 22°F for January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice-out usually falls in mid March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. From about mid March to around late December, expect open water on the long-run figures. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Rich Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Eureka Lake at 2.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Rich Lake if anything is unclear.