Lower Y Lake Fishing in Carroll County, Illinois

• Overview

  Lower Y Lake is one of the Carroll County listings for Illinois. It lies 607 feet above sea level. Small at around 9 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Carroll County list. The town to know is Savanna, 1.6 miles out. The nearest city of size is Davenport, 46 miles away. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lower Y Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Carroll County include common carp, bluegill and orangespotted sunfish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Lower Y Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 73°F in July and bottoms out near 18°F in January. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Lower Y Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Upper Y Lake is 0.3 miles distant. The position on Lower Y Lake is worth confirming on the day.