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121-acre lake in Cook County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 9 ft. The depth chart comes from U.S. Geological Survey bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 126 acres wrapped in 3.4 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (2.1) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. 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 2 to 9.28 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 9.28 ft. 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | open water | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Tampier Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 9.28 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 9.28 ft in summer, 3 to 9.28 ft once it turns cold. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | open water |
When the water first warms, common carp slide up into 2 to 9.28 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 9.28 ft, winter 3 to 9.28 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | |
| Summer | 2 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | open water | |
| Winter | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | open water |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 9.28 ft game here, winter a 3 to 9.28 ft one. 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | open water | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring largemouth bass on Tampier Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 9.28 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 9.28 ft in summer, 3 to 9.28 ft once it turns cold. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 9.28 ft game here, winter a 3 to 9.28 ft one. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9.28 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Tampier Lake also holds walleye (3 to 9.28 ft in summer), yellow perch (3 to 9.28 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 9 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 9.28 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from U.S. Geological Survey bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch on Tampier Lake.
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. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: U.S. Geological Survey. 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.