Rocky Ford Sportsman Club North Lake Fishing near Hillsboro, Illinois

• Overview

  You will find Rocky Ford Sportsman Club North Lake in Montgomery County, Illinois. It sits in mixed woodland. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Montgomery County standards. The closest town, Hillsboro, is 8.5 miles away. Further out sit Greenville (13 miles) and Ramsey (15 miles). A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Rocky Ford Sportsman Club North Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Species logged across Montgomery County include green sunfish, yellow bullhead and johnny darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Rocky Ford Sportsman Club North Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 77°F in July and bottoms out near 27°F in January. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Rocky Ford Sportsman Club North Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Rocky Ford Lakes is 0.2 miles off. What applies at Rocky Ford Sportsman Club North Lake may have changed since it was mapped.