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29-acre lake in the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve at Mahomet. Real Champaign County / Illinois DNR sonar survey: a deep 25 ft hole off the northwest bank, largemouth and panfish on the weed edges and the Little Golden Gate narrows. The lake tops out around 25 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Lake of the Woods maps at 29 acres behind 1.6 miles of shoreline — one island included. With a 2.1 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 84% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 0.4 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. It sits in Champaign County. If the bite dies, Lake Clinton is 18 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Weed flat: a weed flat around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (7 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Sharp break (25 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Weed flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Weed flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (7 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Weed flat (7 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deepest basin (25 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. Start at Deepest basin. It's a deep basin holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (7 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (25 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deepest basin (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deepest basin: a deep basin around 25 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deepest basin (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Deepest basin (25 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deepest basin (25 ft) |
Count 13 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deepest basin, sits near 25 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 Lake of the Woods specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Lake of the Woods is about 25 ft (8 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish on Lake of the Woods.
Weed flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 of the Woods 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 18 mi · Dawson Lake 21 mi · Homer Lake 25 mi · Lake Decatur 33 mi · Kickapoo State Park Lake 37 mi · Walnut Point Lake 40 mi · Lake Bloomington 41 mi · Evergreen Lake 43 mi · Lake Shelbyville 49 mi · Charleston Lake 52 mi · Lake Paradise 53 mi · Sangamon River 56 mi
See how Lake of the Woods 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. 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.