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

• Overview

  Carroll County in Illinois is where Spring Lake sits. It lies 577 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to some 4.7 sq miles, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. It is the biggest water on our Carroll County list. Savanna lies 3.2 miles from the water. Further out sit Mount Carroll (8.7 miles) and Fulton (13 miles). Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Spring Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Carroll County records list common carp, bluegill, orangespotted sunfish and johnny darter among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Take Spring Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 73°F and January near 18°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Spring Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Misquakee Lake is 1.8 miles off. Treat access at Spring Lake as something to verify.