Tim Lesmeister.

JULY
Fox Chain O’Lakes
Channel Catfish
Northern pike and panfish are the main draw for anglers on the Fox Chain, while the channel cats go overlooked and underfished. That’s good news for catfishermen who want some hot summer action.

Sizes don’t run huge, but the numbers are high. Channels in the 5-pound range are taken, but most are smaller than that.

Daytime anglers can sometimes connect with fish by tossing stink baits into depressions on the lake bottom. A controlled dragging of the bait for about 20 yards or so every 15 minutes creates a scent trail for the fish to home in on. Cats moving in your direction can be intercepted and those coming in from other directions will still be able to catch up with you.

Northern pike, crappies and bluegills are all fairly abundant throughout the chain. Fish for pike and panfish during the day, and then switch to catfish during the evening.

The Fox Chain O’Lakes covers a total of 7,110 acres in Lake and McHenry counties. Additional information is available by calling Region 2 at (847) 608-3100.

AUGUST
Banner Marsh Crappies
Crappies are abundant and grow to some nice sizes. Bragging-sized fish are taken every year, and though the larger lakes on the property are the most dependable from year to year, smaller ponds produce some mammoth-sized papermouths on occasion. The spawn is long over, but fish in these smaller waters are still easy to find.

By August, the fish will be holding in deeper water off shoreline structure and near the weedbeds.

Banner Marsh is a seven-mile-long area of old strip mines and small lakes that have been flooded. The three largest lakes are Johnson, Shovel and East Access, with Johnson being the largest at about 100 acres. Add them all up and you’ll find about 600 acres of fish-producing waters.

Largemouth bass in the 8-pound range have been taken with plenty pushing toward that mark available.

No more than 25 crappies with a minimum length of 9 inches can be taken daily.

Banner Marsh is four miles northeast of Banner and 12 miles west of Peoria on Route 24 in Peoria County. A 25-horsepower limit is in place.

For more information, contact the Riverside Hunting, Bait & Tackle at (309) 347-3793.

SEPTEMBER
Cedar Lake Stripers
Stripers are doing well in Cedar Lake and provide fast action if you can find them. These fish are open-water dwellers. They’ll sometimes relate to bottom contour changes but are more likely to roam in a tight school.

Bass anglers should check Carlyle Lake this year for good numbers of scrappy largemouth bass. The bass average between 2 and 3 pounds, but there are bigger ones available.

If you locate skipping prey fish mid-lake during the daylight hours, it’s a safe bet to believe the stripers are near by. Stripers herd smaller fish to the surface where they’re trapped. As the prey fish panic and skip across the surface, they become disoriented and easier for the stripers to catch.

Casting into fleeing prey fish virtually guarantees a hookup if your bait looks anything like a minnow. A feeding frenzy will last for several minutes, enough time for you to quietly move within casting range. Toss your bait into the fray and hold on.

Largemouth bass are under a 14- to 18-inch protected slot limit and there are good numbers of fish up to and over the 18-inch mark.

Cedar Lake covers 1,750 acres in Jackson County and has a 10-horsepower motor restriction. The lake is located four miles southwest of Carbondale off Route 51 South.

For additional information, contact the DNR at (618) 687-4546.