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Fox Chain of Lakes
by Kevin Patton Tucked away in northeastern Illinois, at the Wisconsin border, the Fox Chain of Lakes is making a comeback and providing anglers with improved fishing for several species. Fishing guide and lure maker Jim (J.D.) Schaefer discussed fishing on the Fox Chain during a Feb. 7 seminar at the Tinley Park Fishing and Outdoor Show. The Fox Chain has 7,000 acres of water with 9 major lakes that provide a wide variety of fishing conditions. The lakes are connected by a series of small waterways, which allow boats to travel between lakes. The Chain contains 40 miles of the Fox River and 488 miles of shoreline. Lakes range in size from 86 to 1,700 acres. Fox and Pistakee Lakes are the two largest, encompassing 1,700 acres apiece. Grass Lake is 1,350 acres. Some of the lakes contain clear water while others are murky. Some lakes are weedy and shallow, while others have depths of 40 feet. Grass Lake averages 3-4 feet deep, while Channel and Catherine Lakes have depths to 40 feet. The northern lakes in the chain generally contain more weeds and clearer water, even to the point of being able to sight fish on Lake Catherine. Fox, Grass, and Pistakee Lakes have darker, murky water. There are approximately 15 resorts at the Chain and with many launch sites available. The Chain of Lakes State Park offers camping, boat ramps, a bait shop, and boat rentals. There are several other bait shops nearby. The first obstacle that anglers may encounter when fishing the Fox Chain is the crowds of pleasure boaters, skiers, and other fishermen. The weekends and holidays are especially busy since the waterway is 45 miles from Chicago and is one of the most popular destinations in Illinois. There is a user permit at the Fox Chain which can be obtained from the Fox Waterway Agency.
Fishing Prospects "Fishing at the lakes has improved greatly during the past 20 years," according to Schaefer. He rates the Fox Chain as one of the best fishing opportunities in Northern Illinois and says there is good fishing for crappies, largemouth bass, muskies, and walleyes, and bluegills. Other available species include northern pike, catfish, bullheads, carp, yellow bass, white bass, and perch. He says the fishery produces 50-inch muskies, 30 to 40-inch northerns, 25 to 30-inch walleyes, and 5 to 7-pound largemouth bass. He catches 14 to 15-inch crappies with one 17-incher last year. Bluegills 9 to 11 inches are not uncommon, as well as white bass up to 16 inches, although the average is between 10 and 12 inches. Perch is the only species for which the average size is down at the Fox Chain. Schaefer noted that nearly every lake has all the available species and thus the same potential for fishing success. Techniques Schaefer recommends sticking to the basics of fishing by not trying to cover too much water, competing with the fish instead of other anglers, and by being patient. "Stay all day on one lake at a time to get to know it," says Schaefer. He stresses the importance of using healthy live bait on the Chain. Nightcrawlers and minnows are a staple for Schaefer, but he often switches to leeches during summer because they stay livelier when water temperatures reach 80 degrees. "Fish in the Chain of Lakes like small bait, says Schaefer. "When there is a lot of forage, the fish are not real hungry." He often uses small minnows, leaf worms and spikes (maggots) to tempt finicky fish and to cut down on the number of missed fish that tear nightcrawlers without getting the hook. For walleyes he uses 1/64-ounce Mini Mite jigs that most anglers use for crappies. He favors the green/white or green/green glitter colors and fishes them by hooking the worm "wacky style." His largest Fox Chain walleye came on a 1/16-ounce jig tipped with a leaf worm. He uses the small jigs to fish the eddies between the current and smooth water. His goal is to fish the smallest jig possible and still feel the lure bounce on the bottom as he drift fishes behind the boat. The one time that Schaefer switches to bigger baits is during the fall when he uses larger fathead minnows. Most of the year, his favorite techniques are split-shotting with a bare hook and live bait, using a jig tipped with live bait, or fishing a slip bobber rig with either a leech, nightcrawler, or minnow. Fishing Spots Like most bodies of water, the Fox Chain has a lot of potential fishing spots, both visible and underwater. Unlike some lakes, there is current and many bottleneck areas that can be fishing hot spots. There are also bridges, piers, rocky shorelines, boat docks, and natural and man-made fish cribs. Another key area is any place where the bottom composition changes, from rocks to sand or mud to gravel for instance. Water does fluctuate on the Fox Chain, which anglers should take advantage of by fishing the newly flooded cover. Schaefer maintains that there are many less popular fishing spots on the Chain that are very productive. He tries to find small areas that few people know about and advises anglers to fish early and during the week to beat the crowds. Seasonal Tips "During spring there is little forage," says Schaefer, "and the fish go on a feeding frenzy after a long winter." "Summer provides fish with a banquet of food and they become more selective. There is so much food that a fish doesn't have to move much to eat. Thus, you have to have a better presentation and provide a 'snack' to get a bite." Schaefer believes that it is important to adapt to this body of water. He finds structure in 10-12 feet of water when the barometric pressure is high, looks for holes or subtle changes in the bottom to fish during summer, and tries not to let the boat traffic bother him. He often sees the summer boat traffic as an ally because prop wash stirs things up and often provides a feeding opportunity for hungry game fish like walleyes. They position themselves in holes under boat traffic and Schaefer fishes for them in boat channels by using a slip bobber rig. "Boat traffic to a walleye is a dinner bell because things get stirred up. The key is to always remember that nature is in charge." Links J.D. Schaefer is the owner of JD Turbo Spinners and Guide Service. His web site is: JD Spinners.com He is a full service fishing guide and sells a variety of jigs and spinners, as well as bobbers and fish seasonings. Don Dziedzina is a fishing media personality in the Chicago area. He co-hosts the Fishing Line & Outdoor radio show with Jim DaRosa and Ray Ludkevicz and the All Outdoors TV Show with Rick Komar. His web sites are at: Fishing Line Radio.com and Illinois Outdoors.com Steve Sarley introduced the seminar speakers during the show. He is also a outdoor radio host and his web site is at: The Outdoors Experience The Tinley Park Fishing & Outdoor Show is a yearly event featuring about every aspects of fishing that you can imagine. The show has lots to offer and is well attended. Check out their site at: Tinley Park Fishing Show More information about the Fox Chain of Lakes area can be obtained by visiting: Chain of Lakes.com and Fox Waterway.com |
