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121-acre lake in Cook County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 15 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 127 acres wrapped in 3.3 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (2.1) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. End to end it runs roughly 0.8 mi, about 0.4 mi across. It sits in Cook County. If the bite dies, Des Plaines River is 4 mi to the northwest.
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 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 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 (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 | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Tampier Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 13 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run 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 | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) |
When the water first warms, common carp slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| 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 | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 5 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 13 ft, prime for winter. 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 (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring largemouth bass on Tampier Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 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 (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 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 | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 5 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage 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 (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (7 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 |
Tampier Lake also holds walleye (5 to 15 ft in summer), yellow perch (5 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 13 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 Tampier Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Tampier Lake is about 15 ft (5 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, walleye, yellow perch on Tampier 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 Tampier 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.
Des Plaines River 4 mi · Illinois Waterway - Brandon Road Pool 12 mi · Powder Horn Lake 19 mi · Illinois Waterway - Dresden Island Pool 20 mi · Fox River 27 mi · Heidecke Lake 30 mi · Cedar Lake 31 mi, IN · Rosser Park Pond 31 mi, IN · Kankakee River 32 mi · Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore 41 mi, IL/IN · Diamond Lake 42 mi · Loomis Lake 44 mi, IN
See how Tampier Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best northern pike 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.