Spring Lake in Bureau County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Illinois holds Spring Lake, in Bureau County. The surface lies 440 feet up. At some 274 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Some 4.8 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It is among the larger waters listed here for Bureau County. Nearest place of any size is Depue, 2.5 miles away. After that come Granville at 6.8 miles and Princeton at 7.6 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Spring Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Across Bureau County, recorded fish include bluegill, green sunfish and white sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Spring Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 74°F and January near 21°F on the long-run figures. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Expect the water usable from around mid March until roughly mid December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Spring Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Lake Depue State Fish and Wildlife Area runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Hormel Ponds sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. For Spring Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.