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252-acre lake in Schuyler County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 31 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 255 acres of water rimmed by 11.9 miles of bank. An index of 5.3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Roughly 84% 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 0.9 mi across. You'll find it in Schuyler County. For a second option, Vermont Lake lies 16 mi north.
When the water first warms, blue catfish slide up into 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 31 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 26 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 31 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 9 to 31 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 (26 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish 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 9 to 31 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 9 to 31 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 26 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| 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 | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: freshwater drum in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 9 to 31 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 26 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for the evening. Summer baits: a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Creek inflow (4 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Schuy-Rush Lake also holds largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), muskellunge (8 to 25 ft in summer), sauger (10 to 30 ft in summer), walleye (9 to 31 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 7 structure features on Schuy-Rush Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 26 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 Schuy-Rush Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Schuy-Rush Lake is about 31 ft (9 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 blue catfish, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, muskellunge, sauger, walleye on Schuy-Rush Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For blue catfish, 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 Schuy-Rush 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.
Vermont Lake 16 mi · Anderson Lake 21 mi · Siloam Springs Lake 25 mi · Mauvaise Terre Lake 31 mi · Pittsfield Lake 32 mi · Lake Jacksonville 34 mi · Carthage Reservoir 40 mi · La Harpe Reservoir 42 mi · Canton Lake 45 mi · Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) 51 mi, IA/IL · Greenfield Lake 54 mi · Lake Springfield 54 mi
See how Schuy-Rush Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best sauger lakes in Illinois · best crappie 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.