Ruth Lake Fishing near Willowbrook, Illinois

• Overview

  Set in DuPage County, Illinois, this is Ruth Lake. Height above sea level is 712 feet. This is a pocket water of some 20 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. For supplies, Willowbrook is 0.8 miles out. Further out sit Clarendon Hills (1.4 miles) and Hinsdale (1.4 miles). Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Ruth Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name bluegill, green sunfish, common carp and white sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Treat Ruth Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 74°F and January near 22°F on the long-run figures. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid March. On average, mid March opens the water and mid December closes it again. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Ruth Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Golfview Lake at 0.3 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Ruth Lake may have changed since it was mapped.