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101-acre lake in Cook County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 19 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Powder Horn Lake draws 101 acres inside 2.5 miles of shoreline. Index 1.8 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. 81% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. The water lies in Cook County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Rosser Park Pond, 13 mi southeast of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 6 to 19 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 19 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: common carp in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 15 ft before dropping to 6 to 19 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 19 ft, wintering in 6 to 19 ft. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 16 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 19 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 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 | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 19 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Powder Horn Lake also holds yellow perch (6 to 19 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Powder Horn Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 16 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 Powder Horn Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Powder Horn Lake is about 19 ft (6 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, common carp, crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch on Powder Horn Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Open the map above to see every rated 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 Powder Horn 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.
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See how Powder Horn Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best northern pike lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill 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.