South Lake Fishing near Knoxville, Illinois

• Overview

  South Lake is one of the Knox County listings for Illinois. The bank is 787 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 13 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Illinois listings. For supplies, Knoxville is 9.7 miles out. North Peoria is the closest city, 34 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on South Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. County-wide records name johnny darter, largemouth bass and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Take South Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 75°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Break-up comes around mid March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near mid March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. At South Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Fishing from a pier is possible 0.9 miles away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, North Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at South Lake for certain.