Fishing at West Lake, Lake County, Illinois

• Overview

  West Lake is one of the Lake County waters in Illinois. The bank gives way to lake country bush. Lake Forest sits 2.7 miles from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, Elgin is 25 miles off. Also on the doorstep: Lucky Lake 1.4 miles away, Lambs Lake at 2.4 miles, Shady Lane Resort Lake 2.8 miles away, Harvey Lake at 3.4 miles and Liberty Lake 3.7 miles away. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on West Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Lake County list bluegill, common carp and green sunfish. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. West Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 22°F and July at about 72°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late March until roughly mid December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Anyone fishing West Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. This sits inside Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve, so read the reserve notices first. 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. The nearest alternative is Lucky Lake, 1.4 miles out. For West Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.