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Fishing Tampier Lake: what the data says
121-acre lake near Illinois. The lake tops out around 15 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Bluegill fishing at Tampier Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down 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. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Tampier Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday |
Common Carp fishing at Tampier Lake
Spring common carp on Tampier Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down 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. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Tampier Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Tampier Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 5 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. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Northern Pike fishing at Tampier Lake
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | 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.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Tampier Lake?
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.
What fish are in Tampier Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch, common carp on Tampier Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot 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.
When is the best time to fish 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.
Nearby waters
Des Plaines River · Illinois Waterway - Brandon Road Pool · Illinois Waterway - Dresden Island Pool · Powder Horn Lake · Kankakee River · Fox River
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 every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.