Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 153 acres wrapped in 4.5 miles of bank. An index of 2.6 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 75% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 1.2 mi, about 0.5 mi across. McLean County claims this one. If the bite dies, Lake Clinton is 17 mi to the south.
Spring puts saugeye in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 22 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for fall saugeye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (24 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 24 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 24 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 24 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (24 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | Deep basin (24 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) |
Spring crappie on Dawson Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 24 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 24 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 24 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 24 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The chart marks 8 structure features on Dawson Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 24 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Dawson Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Dawson Lake is about 24 ft (7 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target saugeye, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass 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.
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.
Fishing on Dawson 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.
Lake Clinton 17 mi · Lake Bloomington 19 mi · Lake of the Woods 21 mi · Evergreen Lake 22 mi · Lake Decatur 39 mi · Mackinaw River 40 mi · Homer Lake 45 mi · Sangamon River 52 mi · Illinois River 52 mi · Kickapoo State Park Lake 55 mi · Walnut Point Lake 61 mi · Lake Shelbyville 63 mi
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 see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.