This Lake Michigan angler tangled with a muskie and won. Photo by Pete Maina.

Muskie hunting is coming of age in Illinois and there is no shortage of waters where you have a great chance of tangling with one of these toothy predators.

If you want to catch muskies, the best way is to keep an open mind and watch someone who knows how to do it. The "fish of 10,000 casts" didn't get its nickname for being a pushover. The second thing to keep in mind is that you have to fish waters where there are plenty of muskies. Good numbers with a few lunker-class fish thrown in may be the ticket to success.

Here's a look at waters where you'll be able to watch the experts at work and enjoy some of the state's finest muskie hunting at the same time.

SPRING LAKE NORTH
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources began stocking muskies in the 1970s beginning with Spring Lake North. Though the program has expanded to include more than 30 lakes that are open to public angling, Spring Lake North is still near the top of the list when it comes to muskie destinations.

"Spring Lake is a numbers lake and 10-fish days aren't uncommon when the conditions are right," said Duane Serck, a guide on Spring North, Evergreen and McMaster lakes. "This is the first lake we fish every spring and I've caught muskies on Spring Lake every month of the year. The fish generally range from 28 to 46 inches."

The lake is loaded with submerged weedbeds, has a good forage base and enjoys a rather unique habitat.

Incredibly, depths average barely 3 feet on the lake's 578 acres. By May, three-quarters of the lake is covered with vegetation. The springs that feed the lake sustain coldwater temperatures under the insulating layer of surface vegetation and allow muskies to hunt in very shallow water.

"During July and August, think more like a bass fisherman," Serck said. "Toss small plastics and jigs into weed pockets near the spring holes to locate these fish."

The easiest boat ramp to navigate is near the causeway dividing Spring Lake North and Spring Lake South. A 25-horsepower limit is in place.

Numbers are so good that the IDNR broodstock produces most of the muskies stocked throughout the state. According to fisheries biologist Dan Sallee, more than 300 fish were collected during a survey conducted on the lake last year.

The lake is accessible by the Manito Blacktop 12 miles south of Pekin in Tazewell County.

For more information, contact the IDNR's Region I office at (815) 625-2968, the Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area at (309) 968-7135 or Duane Serck at (309) 267-1601 or online at www.illinoismuskies.com.