Fishing near Normal, Illinois

Normal sits on the McLean County side of Illinois. Some 54,373 people call it home. The near ones first: Miller Park Lake about 3.4 miles to the south, Lake Bloomington about 8.5 miles, Sunset Lake about 9.0 miles to the north-west followed by Cross Lake about 14 miles. The rocky sides of Sunset Lake give a shelf worth working along. Most of it sits behind a dam wall. Points and bays outfish flat shoreline every time. In milder years the surface stays open. Treat the whole of winter as open water and you will not go wrong. Miller Park Lake, the closest, runs to roughly 16 acres. Miller Park Lake has mapped parking, which saves a long carry. Expect the lakes here to open about mid March. Across McLean County, recorded fish include johnny darter, white sucker, bluegill, yellow bullhead and orangethroat darter. Start with Miller Park Lake and work down the list as the season goes on....