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593-acre lake in McLean County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 35 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Lake Bloomington maps at 609 acres behind 17.5 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 5.1) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 70% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 2.5 mi, about 2 mi across. It sits in McLean County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Evergreen Lake, is 5 mi to the west.
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 4 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 (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Lake Bloomington hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 11 to 35 ft. Put Money Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Money Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 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 Old creek channel — creek channel, 18 ft, prime for fall. 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 (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (18 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Bloomington 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 4 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 (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter an 11 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 9 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 11 to 35 ft before dropping to 11 to 35 ft for winter. Summer striped bass concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 30 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 | Money Creek inflow (4 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 11 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (18 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Lake Bloomington also holds walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
11 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 30 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Bloomington specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Lake Bloomington is about 35 ft (11 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, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, walleye, white bass, white bass & hybrids on Lake Bloomington.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Lake Bloomington 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.
Evergreen Lake 5 mi · Dawson Lake 19 mi · Mackinaw River 30 mi · Illinois River 33 mi · Lake Clinton 33 mi · Lake of the Woods 41 mi · Lake Decatur 54 mi · Canton Lake 56 mi · Heidecke Lake 59 mi · Sangamon River 59 mi · Homer Lake 64 mi · Kankakee River 65 mi
See how Lake Bloomington stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best white bass 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.