Apple Canyon Lake Fishing
Apple Canyon Lake is a gorgeous private lake located in Apple River, Illinois in the northwestern part of Illinois. Located about 2.5 hours from Chicago, it’s still close enough for many people to enjoy a weekend out here. To fish this lake, you must be a property owner or a guest of a property owner.
They have fairly strict regulations on the sizes and how many fish you can keep, which helps create an excellent fishery. Don’t be discouraged by the regulations. You can easily catch plenty of big bluegill and mix in a couple of bass per person and you’ll have plenty of food for an afternoon fish fry. Northern pike, muskie, crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and bluegill are available here, but largemouth bass and bluegill are the dominant species. It is not uncommon to catch smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike and muskie, but it takes an advanced angler to consistently catch good numbers of these fish on a given day. They are available though and there are some trophies in this lake.
The largemouth bass fishing is arguably the best bass fishing in the northern part of Illinois. There are TONS OF LARGEMOUTH BASS in this lake. Good bass anglers can find bass in the 3 to 5 pound range throughout the year and the recreational angler will always be able to catch his or her fair share of bass.
If big bluegill is your thing, there are plenty here. Sometimes, the big bluegill are hard to find, but once you find them, you should be able to catch enough for a fish fry. They taste excellent.
Crappie are stocked in this lake as well and they can get big here. I’ve seen 13 to 14 inch crappie in this lake, which is not typical in the northern part of Illinois. You may not fill a bucket with crappie on a given day, but they are here and they can be big.
Walleye are hit or miss on Apple Canyon Lake unless you are an advanced walleye fishermen. There are a few locals that claim to consistently catch walleye, but from my own experience, they can be tough to find on this lake. There are some very nice walleye in the lake though.
Northern pike can be found throughout Apple Canyon Lake. Above the dam is a common spot to catch them and they can be spotted throughout the many coves in the early spring. Big spoons and spinnerbaits work well in the spring. Hit all of the points and the coves and you will most likely get a bite or two. I’ve seen some pike in the 10 pound range, which is not bad at all for a northern Illinois lake.
Big muskie, catfish and smallmouth bass are in the lake, but you won’t see nearly as many of these fish compared to the largemouth bass and bluegill.
If you are looking to enjoy some of the finest fishing in the northern part of Illinois, you may want to consider looking into some Apple Canyon Lake real estate or if you’re lucky, you may just have a friend that’s willing to take you out on the lake. Do not try fishing this lake without being a property owner or being a guest. They do enforce the lake rules and you will most likely get fined.
The Apple Canyon Lake community also offers a marina, beach, clubhouse with pool and its own golf course. For more information, take a look at the Apple Canyon Lake website. http://www.applecanyonlake.org/
