The lake has a lot of good cat habitat. There are about 5 1/2 miles of timbered irregular shoreline. Some of the shoreline is steeper than the rest and can be identified by observing the topography above the water. There are two arms on the lake, with the upper ends of these arms consisting of large, shallow flats. Numerous fallen trees provide good woody shoreline structure. There is very little channel left due to sedimentation, and the maximum depth is around 38 feet down by the earthen dam.

Fish will hold in deeper water during the daylight hours and then move shallower in the evening to feed through the night. Fishing slows considerably by around 8 a.m. Daytime angling should be concentrated in deeper water near structure or changes in bottom contour. However, in August, anglers shouldn’t fish deeper than around 8 to 12 feet because of thermocline

There is one particular hotspot here for feeding cats in the summer. Around August, the weedbed line will usually extend out to about 8 feet of water. This weedline creates a travel corridor for catfish on the prowl. Anglers can have great success by fishing the outside edge of the weedline close to the bottom.

Some of the shallow bays and flats can be good at times depending on water temperature and time of day. Most of the best catfishing in shallow water will occur during late evening and night, with peaks at dusk and dawn.

Some of the most successful baits on Argyle Lake are night crawlers, leeches and dip baits.

For more information on Argyle Lake, call the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce at (309) 837-4855 or the Argyle Lake State Park at (309) 776-3422.

REGION II MCCULLOM LAKE
McCullom Lake was killed out and restocked in the mid-1990s, and channel catfish were restocked at that time. Catfish grow well in this 244-acre glacial lake located in McHenry County. At the time of the fish kill, one catfish was recovered that weighed nearly 25 pounds.

Most fish caught at the lake will weigh between 1 and 3 pounds, but fish over 5 pounds are taken quite frequently. The fishery is kept in good shape due to supplemental stocking. District fisheries biologist Vic Santucci said the DNR stocks approximately 2,400 non-vulnerable catfish there each year.

Pete Merkel of the McHenry Parks & Recreation Department said catfish don’t receive a lot of fishing pressure on the lake. A good fishery with low fishing pressure usually translates to an excellent opportunity for anglers.

Shoreline anglers can access this lake from the newly renovated Peterson Park. This park has around 1,500 feet of shoreline, and a handicapped-accessible fishing pier. Two other parks also provide shoreline access, and a boat launch is located on Shore Drive at the southern end of the lake.

Fishing this lake is a little different than most waters. It is very shallow, with an average depth of only around 4 1/2 feet. The lake is supplied by a very small watershed of only 620 acres and is groundwater-fed. This causes the lake to be fairly clear.