Best Lake Close to Chicago

[BigAl]

I plan a Fall fishing trip every year (when fesible) to Southwestern Michigan and would like some suggestions on a lake for next year.  Two years ago hit Big Cedar in Lawton (did okay) and just came back from Gun in Wayland - did not do so well.  Here are my parameters:

1. Within a 4 hour drive (tops) from the Southwest suburbs of Chicago.
2. Ample Boat and Cabin rental options.
3. Good structure - most of Gun lake is 3 feet deep and can only fish major drop offs - not a top choice.
4. Clean lake - low pollution.
5. Great volume of small and largemouth bass and walleye would be preferred.
6. Decent size - over 500 acres preferred.
7. If there are other suggestions outside of Michigan also willing to hear those as well.

[Team houston]

St. Clair.

[LAPORTE]

Good Call 

[cameraguy]

     BigAl would have to keep that pedal pushed to the floor to get to LSC in four hours. Hardy Dam Pond in Newago County, Michigan holds some big smallies, decent largemouth, and nice walleyes. It can be a pretty tough fishery though. It should be right around four hours according to Google Map.
     The Winnebago chain in Wisconsin is a good fishery for all three of the species you mentioned, BigAl. Plus, it is BIG with a variety of water to fish; big lake, small lakes, and rivers. There us also plenty of lodging around the lake.
     Please let us know what you pick and how you did.

[Skulley]

Erie would be a good choice too.


BD                         

[TCook]

Go to sturgeon bay

[BigAl]

Cameraguy,

The Hardy Dam Pond looks pretty good.  However, are there cabins and boats available on that lake and how many acres is it?  Seems like the travel time is not that bad afterall. 

Thanks,

BigAl

[Dan]

I'm not knocking Hardy, but if you want to catch largemouth, smallmouth, walleye, etc. in numbers, any time of year, then Hamlin Lake in Ludington is the best lake. Plenty of places to stay, either in Ludington or on the lake itself. You can buy gas on the water. You can pull your boat up to a pretty good hamburger place for a quick lunch. You have plenty of water to fish, and there are protected areas that make even nasty days fishing go fairly well.
I Googled it and it says it's 244 miles from Chicago. Google estimates the drive time to be 4 hours and 13 minutes.
You also will be driving by Muskegon Lake and White Lake which aren't bad lakes either. However, I've fished them both and if I'm going fun fishing Hamlin is my choice.
Plus, it is just a half hour further to Manistee where there is a casino, and two more good lakes: Manistee Lake, and Portage Lake.
Depending on the time of year, and maybe a small lunch fee, I might even know a guy that has a cabin about 40 minutes away that could show you around the lake.

[cameraguy]

     Dan has some really good info posted there. Any of the drowned river mouth lakes along Lake Michigan offers good "mixed-bag" fishing, which in the fall include salmon and steelhead. As a general rule, the farther north you go the more natural the lakes look.
     As far as Hardy goes, there are a couple of campgrounds on the lake but I don't know about cabins or other lodging. Most of Hardy looks like wilderness with lots of trees and steep sandy banks. That's one of the reasons I like it so much.
     Erie is an amazing fishery but can get so rough that it can chase the fun right out of it, unless you have a very large boat. Plus, that four hour thing is pushing it although it is closer to you than St. Clair.
Out of all of the choices mentioned, my pick would still be Winnebago as long as you hold to your time restriction. To me, it offers the biggest variety of fishing opportunities and scenery. There is a lot of water to explore. Have you already fished it? If so, how did you do?
     Now on the other hand, if you are willing to bend the four hour rule, then northern Michigan offers many bodies of water that hold huge smallies; Elk/Torch chain, Lake Charlevoix, Grand Traverse Bay, Burt/Mullett Lakes, and more.