Spring Lake North - Lake Profile
Always a shallow water, 75% is covered with 17 different species of aquatic vegetation by late May of each year. The tremendous spring recharge from the bed of the lake amounts to 52 acre feet a day, creating very cold water temperatures under the insulating layer of vegetation for the majority of the summer months. This is a unique situation and only occurs in Spring Lake within the State of Illinois. The resulting temperature regime and water quality is excellent habitat for muskie. Because of its proximity to the Jake Wolf Hatchery, North Spring Lake has been used as a brood source for muskie the past 20 years and has provided most of the early muskie stocks for statewide stocking each year. We know quite a lot about the size structure and age of the population, as well as growth. It appears that growth of female fish is excellent when compared to nation-wide populations. Growth of male muskie is in the normal range when making a similar comparison. There is a big difference in the length at age between sexes! A 32 inch female is usually 4 years old, whereas a 32 inch male is 5 years old, on average. North Spring Lake is stocked every third year at a rate of between 2 and 3 fish per acre. It has been observed that significant cannibalism occurs if muskie are stocked every year. Young muskie are especially vulnerable to 1 and 2 year old male muskie at North Spring Lake. Fishing for muskie on North Spring Lake is a challenge. The water temperatures rise quickly and usually result in fish feeding actively in late March. Aquatic vegetation becomes thick and hard to fish no later than May 15th of each year and lasts until the lake closes for regular waterfowl season. The narrow window of opportunity between the middle of March and mid-May results in some excellent fishing. The fish are then refuged by the thick vegetation until the following year. Sometimes fishing the holes in the vegetation in June is quite effective. Sometimes, late winter is excellent muskie fishing if there is open water. There are a number of large fish in the population available to muskie anglers.
Location: North Spring Lake is a 578 acre body of water located 6 miles north and west of Manito, Illinois, adjacent to the Illinois River.
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Description: North Spring Lake is an elongated backwater lateral marsh of the Illinois River. It was separated by a high levee from the Illinois River in 1916. The North Lake was separated from the South Lake in 1978 by a stop log structure and a spillway for discharge water. North Spring Lake receives 52 acre feet of recharge daily from springs and seeps. Spring Lake currently has a 25 horsepower limit for outboard motors. The main access is via the Spring Lake blacktop road. A single lane boat ramp is located along the causeway which crosses Spring Lake. An additional gravel ramp is located adjacent to the Sky Ranch blacktop road bridge crossing of North Spring Lake. North Spring Lake is a shallow, very fertile backwater. It has a 75% coverage of aquatic vegetation after April and until November of each year. The lake is closed to boat fishing one week prior to regular waterfowl season, and until the end of waterfowl season each year.
Always a shallow water, Spring Lake today has an average depth of 2.9 feet. Of the 578 acres of water, at least 75% is covered with 17 different species of aquatic vegetation by late May of each year. The majority of this coverage now consists of Eurasian milfoil, lily and lotus. The tremendous spring recharge from the bed of the lake amounts to 52 acre feet a day, creating very cold water temperatures under the insulating layer of vegetation for the majority of the summer months. This is a unique situation and only occurs in Spring Lake within the State of Illinois.
History and Status of the Sport Fishery: North spring Lake was rehabilitated in the 1980s to remove an undesirable carp-gizzard shad fish population. As a result of the rehabilitation, an excellent fish population resulted. Water clarity improved and aquatic weeds flourished. Good fishing for large-mouth bass, crappie, sunfish and catfish soon resulted. As part of an effort to develop a brood source for muskie, Spring Lake has been stocked with that species for 25 years. Muskie are trap netted at the lake and spawned at the Jake Wolf Fish Hatchery in March of each year. A total of over half a million eggs are produced for state-wide muskie needs each year. The muskie population is being continuously monitored using electronic tags. This marking program has been ongoing since 1999. Because of its shallow water and clarity, North Spring Lake has a tremendous coverage of aquatic vegetation. As part of an effort to reduce coverage of Eurasian milfoil (an exotic invasive plant), North Spring Lake is treated with DMA4-2, 4D each year.
Additional Lake Information: North Spring Lake has two usable boat ramps and is accessible by the Manito Blacktop, 12 miles south of Pekin. No fuel or services are available, however, camping and food is. There is a 25 horsepower limit at Spring Lake.
Misc. Info:
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Lake Closure: Part of the lake closes during waterfowl season. Please check with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for site specific closing dates.