Fishing Sullivan Lake in McHenry County, Illinois

• Overview

  You will find Sullivan Lake in McHenry County, Illinois. The surface lies 745 feet up. The water covers some 57 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The whole outline is near 1.5 miles, and most of it is walkable. You are 1 mile from Lakemoor. It is 22 miles to Elgin, the nearest city. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Sullivan Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name bluegill, largemouth bass, green sunfish and pumpkinseed. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The near bank of Sullivan Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 72°F on average, January about 20°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. From about late March to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Sullivan Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. Picnic facilities are recorded some half a mile out. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Lily Lake is 1.2 miles off. Treat Sullivan Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.