We offer fishing and ice fishing fun for anglers of all ages and experience levels at many lakes and ponds in forest preserves throughout Lake County. Many preserves offer accessible fishing piers. See individual locations for details.
Fishing Guide
Catch them if you can with the definitive guide to fishing in your Lake County Forest Preserves. Plan your day of fun with detailed bathymetric maps of 17 major fishing locations and sport fish species typically found there. Read helpful tips from Forest Preserves staff, including recommended reels, lure colors, best times of day to fish and more.
Fishing Guide (English) Guía de pesca (Español)
Bait
Live bait is permitted. Seining or trapping baitfish is not permitted in any Forest Preserves waterway. Please do not release unused minnows. They are usually non-native species, and can compete with native fish for food and space. Worms and tackle are sold at
Fox River Preserve and Marina and
Independence Grove.
Catch-and-Release
Catch-and-release fishing is an important part of maintaining good fish populations. It's mandatory at
Independence Grove and
Nippersink. At other preserves, we encourage you to release bass and northern pike. They help keep panfish populations in check. Careful handling and release help reduce stress on fish and give them the best chance to live, reproduce and be caught again. Practice the following procedures.
-
Quickly land the fish. If you have to net the fish, keep it in the water as you remove the hook. Rubber mesh nets are best.
-
Use barbless hooks. Have a hemostat or needle-nose pliers available for hook removal.
-
Be gentle. Don’t grab the fish around its abdomen, or put your fingers in its eyes or gills.
-
Limit the time the fish is out of the water to 30 seconds or fewer.
-
Practice CPR: catch, photo and release. Wet your hands and lift the fish from the water into a horizontal position. Support its weight by placing your off-hand under the fish’s belly. Have someone ready with a camera before you remove the fish from the water.
-
For deeply hooked fish, cut the line as close to the hook as possible and release the fish.
-
Place—don’t toss—the fish back in the water. Simply turn your net over for release if possible. Don’t swish the fish back and forth to aerate it. Gills are designed for one-way water flow only.
-
Large trophy fish are usually healthy females. Release them as soon as possible so they can continue to reproduce.
Ice Fishing
Ice fishing is permitted on five designated waterbodies when conditions allow from 6:30 am–sunset daily. It’s at your own risk. The Forest Preserves does not monitor ice conditions. Anglers should check ice thickness before going onto any frozen waterbody. A minimum of four inches of solid ice over the entire waterbody is recommended before attempting to ice fish.
-
Hastings Lake: permitted on any part of the lake.
-
Independence Grove: permitted on any part of the lake apart from the ice skating area west of the Marina.
-
Lake Carina: permitted on any part of the lake.
-
Lakewood: permitted on Banana Lake only.
-
Van Patten Woods: permitted on any part of Sterling Lake. Ice fishing here is open for extended hours, 6:30 am–one hour after sunset daily.
Bring your own gear. Temporary shanties and shelters are permitted but must be removed by the end of the day. Only two poles are allowed, or tip-ups with no more than two hooks on each line. Holes must be drilled 6 inches or smaller in diameter. All other fishing regulations apply.
Learn More
Catch Them If You Can
Read helpful tips from Forest Preserves staff, including recommended reels, lure colors, best times of day to fish and more.

Bluegill, bowfin, carp, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, muskellunge (muskie), northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye and yellow perch are found in Lake County waterways. Some species are common and easier to catch, particularly panfish, a class so named because they’re edible fish that don’t usually outgrow the size of a frying pan.
Carp and channel catfish are non-native fish and plentiful in most preserves. Carp are popular target fish for many anglers. Large predatory fish, such as walleye and muskie, are fairly rare and challenging to catch. Learn about these sport species from videos, books, other anglers and fishing clubs.
The following state of Illinois fishing daily catch limits apply at all sites:
Species |
Minimum Length |
Daily Creel Limit |
Bluegill and sunfish |
N/A |
N/A |
Channel catfish |
N/A |
3 per day |
Crappie |
N/A |
N/A |
Largemouth bass |
15 inches |
1 per day |
Muskellunge |
36 inches* |
1 per day |
Northern pike |
24 inches |
3 per day |
Smallmouth bass |
15 inches |
1 per day |
Walleye |
16 inches |
6 per day |
*At Sterling Lake in Van Patten Woods, the minimum length for muskellunge (muskie) is 48 inches. All live bait greater than 8 inches must be rigged with a quick set rig.
Use fishing knots to properly tie your line to your hook, lure and other tackle. The knots below are those most commonly used by anglers. Each knot has a specific purpose. When creating your knot, consider the following:
-
The "tag end" (a.k.a. "working end") is the end of the line used to tie the knot.
-
The "standing end" is the line that comes from your reel.
-
Leave about 12 inches of the "tag end" of line to tie knots permanently
-
You want the strongest knot possible to avoid losing fish.
-
Simple overhand knots actually weakens your line.
-
Practice tying until you can create each knot easily and correctly.
-
Use saliva to wet knots as you pull them tight. This prevents damage to the line, helps pull the knot tight and prevents it from slipping.
-
Once tied, trim knots closely. A good, tight knot will not come loose, and close trimming prevents the knot from catching snags or weeds.
-
Do not burn the tag end. Heat damages the line and knot.
Improved Clinch Knot—Used to tie fishing line to a hook or lure for lines up to 20-pound test. The secret is making five turns of the tag end around the standing end before putting the tag end back through the formed loop.

Palomar Knot—Used to tie fishing line to a hook or lure for lines up to and over 20-pound test. This takes more line to tie and can tangle because it is doubled first, but it is a favorite of many anglers because it is easy and can be tied in the dark.

Non-Slip Loop Knot—Used with larger lines where a tight knot can affect the hook or lure movement. This knot creates a fixed loop so the hook can move freely.

Blood Knot—Used to join two lines of similar diameter. The secret is making five turns of line with each tag end around the overlapped standing end. Tip: Make one series of turns, tuck the tag end between the two lines and repeat with second line.

Arbor Knot—Used to attach line to your reel. This knot does not need to be strong. Run line around the spool, make overhand knot around standing line, clip and pull.

-
Fishing on the preserve lake is mandatory catch-and‐release, which makes it recreational for anglers and beneficial for nature.
-
Site-specific state fishing regulations apply. Visit ifishillinois.org for full details. State fishing license required for ages 16 and older and can be purchased at the marina (open seasonally). Only worms and minnows permitted as live bait. Dump unwanted bait in trash, not in waterways. Two poles maximum. Line fishing only. Use of barbless, non‐stainless steel hooks encouraged.
-
Fishing is not permitted in the South Bay, or from the North Bay dock when the North Bay Pavilion is reserved for special events or programs.
-
Inflatables are not permitted.
-
Ice fishing is permitted in South Bay only.
-
Fishing boats can be rented at the marina (open seasonally).
-
All boaters and passengers on watercraft must be in possession of a USCG approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD). PFDs must be worn at all times on all paddlecraft and by those ages 13 and younger.
-
Boaters may be denied use of equipment based on the judgment of facility team member for the following, but not limited to: failure to exhibit minimal marine proficiency, age, influence of alcohol, or failure to follow prescribed rental or facility policies.
-
Participants must be at least 16 years of age or 12 years of age with a parent/guardian’s signature, and be accompanied on site by a parent/guardian, counselor or teacher.
-
Stand up paddleboard minimum age is 10 years old with a parent/guardian’s signature and adult supervision.
-
Rescue service and surveillance are not provided.
-
Boaters assume all risk for personal or equipment liability.
-
Facilities staff reserve the right to restrict or refuse access to the lake based on weather, water conditions, or other factors according to staff discretion.
-
For questions, or to view all ordinances governing the use of preserves and trails, visit LCFPD.org/rules, or call 847-549‐5200 and ask to speak to a Ranger.
-
Rangers and other staff regularly patrol the area and can offer assistance. For emergenices, call 911. For nonemergency public safety issues, call 847-549-5200 to speak to a Ranger.
Catch-and-Release: Fishing Tips
Learn the proper catch-and-release techniques from Mark Hurley an Environmental Educator at Lake County Forest Preserves.
LOCATIONS
-
Buffalo Creek Reservoir »
Buffalo Creek, Long Grove
39 acres | max depth: 4.5 feet
Leer en Español
-
Wright Woods Pond »
Captain Daniel Wright Woods, Mettawa
3 acres | max depth: 8 feet
Leer en Español
-
Des Plaines River »
Des Plaines River Trail
34 miles | average depth: 3 feet
Leer en Español
-
Fox River »
Fox River, Port Barrington
Leer en Español
-
Rubber Duck Pond »
Grant Woods, Ingleside
2 acres | max depth: 12 feet
Leer en Español
-
Dugdale Lake »
Greenbelt, Waukegan
4 acres | max depth: 18 feet
Leer en Español
-
Pulaski Lake »
Greenbelt, North Chicago
8 acres | max depth: 21 feet
Leer en Español
-
Half Day Pond »
Half Day, Vernon Hills
3 acres | max depth: 12 feet
Leer en Español
-
Hastings Lake »
Hastings Lake, Lake Villa
74 acres | max depth: 24 feet
Leer en Español
-
The Lake at Independence Grove »
Independence Grove, Libertyville
129 acres | max depth: 46 feet
Leer en Español
-
Lake Carina »
Lake Carina, Gurnee
23 acres | max depth: 23 feet
Leer en Español
-
Banana Lake »
Lakewood, Wauconda
5 acres | max depth: 27 feet
Leer en Español
-
Taylor Lake »
Lakewood, Wauconda
6 acres | max depth: 17 feet
Leer en Español
-
Nippersink Lake »
Nippersink, Round Lake
15 acres | max depth: 8.5 feet
Leer en Español
-
Old School Lake »
Old School, Mettawa
8 acres | max depth: 12 feet
Leer en Español
-
Timber Lake »
Raven Glen, Antioch
33 acres | max depth: 33 feet
Leer en Español
-
Des Plaines Lake »
Sedge Meadow, Wadsworth
26 acres | max depth: 24 feet
Leer en Español
-
Sterling Lake »
Van Patten Woods, Wadsworth
87 acres | max depth: 26 feet
Leer en Español
Images © Tim Elliott, R. Scott McNeill, Justine Neslund, WhereRU