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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
877-acre lake in McLean County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 48 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, Evergreen Lake draws 904 acres inside 26 miles of shoreline, broken up by 2 islands. The 6.2 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 46% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 3.8 mi long by 1.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in McLean County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Bloomington, 5 mi east of here.
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. Time it for early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (41 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| 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 | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (41 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (41 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, longnose gar run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 1 to 12 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Spring longnose gar concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 5 ft. Fish it in midday and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a rope lure or a small white spinner most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | Creek inflow (5 ft) | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (41 ft) |
Spring puts muskellunge in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring muskellunge. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (41 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Early season sauger use the shallows, holding in 4 to 18 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 45 ft. Put Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (5 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Deep basin (41 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Evergreen Lake also holds saugeye (8 to 22 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Evergreen Lake carries 11 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 41 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Evergreen Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Evergreen Lake is about 48 ft (15 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 common carp, crappie, largemouth bass, longnose gar, muskellunge, sauger, saugeye, smallmouth bass, walleye on Evergreen Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For common carp, 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 Evergreen 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 Bloomington 5 mi · Dawson Lake 22 mi · Mackinaw River 25 mi · Illinois River 31 mi · Lake Clinton 34 mi · Lake of the Woods 43 mi · Canton Lake 51 mi · Lake Decatur 54 mi · Sangamon River 56 mi · Heidecke Lake 62 mi · Homer Lake 67 mi · Anderson Lake 68 mi
See how Evergreen Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best saugeye 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.