Roundhouse Lake in Knox County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Roundhouse Lake is a Knox County water, in Illinois. Elevation runs to 738 feet. It covers about 20 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. For supplies, Knoxville is 11 miles out. For a city, North Peoria is 35 miles off. Nearest other option: Lake Windsor 0.4 miles off, Fishhook Lake after 0.7 miles, Corn Crib Lake 1.2 miles off, North Lake after 1.9 miles and Manson Heights Lake 2.1 miles off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Roundhouse Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Species logged across Knox County include johnny darter, largemouth bass, white sucker, slenderhead darter and golden redhorse. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Roundhouse Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 74°F; the cold one sits at 21°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid March. The lid tends to go about mid March and return around mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Roundhouse Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lake Windsor sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Roundhouse Lake as something to verify.