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36.8-acre lake near Rockford. The lake tops out around 10 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Olson Lake runs 37 acres with 1.7 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.9) — enough points and pockets to pattern. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 0.6 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Winnebago County. For a second option, Pierce Lake lies 1 mi southwest.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 10 ft covers summer, 3 to 10 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 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 (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts muskellunge in skinny water — 3 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for fall 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 10 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 10 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 10 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The chart marks 7 structure features on Olson Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 10 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 Olson Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Olson Lake is about 10 ft (3 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, muskellunge, bluegill on Olson Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 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 Olson 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.
Pierce Lake 1 mi · Rock River (WI) 22 mi, WI · Lions Park Pond 22 mi, WI · Kiwanis Pond 22 mi, WI · Delavan Lake 25 mi, WI · Comus Lake 26 mi, WI · Spauldings Pond 26 mi, WI · Geneva Lake 27 mi, WI · Lake Lorraine 29 mi, WI · Storrs Lake 29 mi, WI · Turtle Lake 29 mi, WI · Como Lake 29 mi, WI
See how Olson Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois · best muskellunge 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.