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Fishing Dawson Lake: what the data says
160.8-acre reservoir near LeRoy. The lake tops out around 24 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Saugeye fishing at Dawson Lake
Start shallow in spring: saugeye sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 17 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & dawn | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Channel Catfish fishing at Dawson Lake
Spring channel catfish on Dawson Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 7 to 24 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Dawson Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 7 to 24 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 24 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Dawson Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Dawson Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 24 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 17 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Dawson Lake?
Dawson Lake is about 24 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Dawson Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie, channel catfish on Dawson Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Dawson Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for saugeye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Dawson Lake?
For saugeye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Lake of the Woods · Mackinaw River · Homer Lake · Illinois River · Sangamon River · Walnut Point Lake
See how Dawson Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best saugeye lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.