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298-acre lake in Lake County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 44 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Cedar Lake maps at 298 acres behind 4.1 miles of shoreline — 3 islands included. A middling shoreline index (1.7) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 74% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 1.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.9 mi at the beam. It sits in Lake County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Sand Lake, is 3 mi to the east.
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Cedar Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 37 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (37 ft) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 37 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (37 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring flathead catfish on Cedar Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 13 to 44 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 37 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (37 ft) | |
| Winter | 13 to 44 ft | midday | Deep basin (37 ft) |
Spring largemouth bass on Cedar Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 13 to 44 ft before dropping to 13 to 44 ft for winter. Summer striped bass concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 37 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 13 to 44 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (37 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 13 to 44 ft | midday | Deep basin (37 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Cedar Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 37 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Cedar Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Cedar Lake is about 44 ft (13 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, striped bass on Cedar Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For bluegill, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Cedar Lake is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Sand Lake 3 mi · Long Lake 4 mi · Cross Lake 5 mi, WI/IL · Rock Lake 6 mi, WI · Voltz Lake 6 mi, WI · Lake Shangrila 6 mi, WI · Mud Lake 6 mi, WI · Peat Lake 6 mi, WI · Paasch Lake 7 mi, WI · Camp Lake 7 mi, WI · George Lake 8 mi, WI · Center Lake 8 mi, WI
See how Cedar Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.