Fishing Puddle Pond in Will County, Illinois

• Overview

  Puddle Pond is a Will County water, in Illinois. The bank is 607 feet above sea level. At roughly 8 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. For supplies, Crystal Lawns is 3.4 miles out. The big place round here is Joliet, 8.1 miles distant. Within a short run: 1.2 miles away is Legion Lake Renwick at about 2.5 miles, 3.5 miles away is Lake Plainfield, Dupage Feeder (historical) at about 7.8 miles and 8.1 miles away is Lake Strini. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Puddle Pond

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Public occurrence data for Will County names common carp, green sunfish, threadfin shad and bluegill. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Puddle Pond to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 74°F for July and 22°F for January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate figures give an open season running mid March to mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. At Puddle Pond the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  This one is in public ownership, with the usual conditions. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Legion Lake is 1.2 miles off. Check the position at Puddle Pond before loading the car.