4/26/09 Fox River Weekend Prospects
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:20 pm
In spite of the rain we got over the last few days, the Fox River didn't really jump up much. As of writing this on Tuesday afternoon, it has already leveled off at about 2600 cfs and is showing signs of heading down. Not sure how much it will come down since Wisconsin seems to have got a fair amount of rain and all that water has to come this way. The best bet is to check the river gauges on Friday and let that determine where to go on the rest of the weekend.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/il/nwis/uv?dd ... o=05551540
Knowledgeable waders will be able to start making tentative forays out into the river, I think. As always with high water, fish the edges and look for well defined current breaks. What species you're fishing for won't really matter. They'll all be in relatively the same spots throughout any given day. They are all becoming active and they really don't have any place else to go.
As for locations, Geneva from the dam down to the railroad tracks would be good. In Batavia, the east shore from Glenwood Forest Preserve as far south as you feel like walking might be worth while. There is one area around the former archery range between the shore and a large island that should be wadeable no matter what the water level is.
North Aurora is always worth it this time of year. The more adventurous may want to try the winding channels along the meat packing plant as you head for I-88.
Indian Trail would be worth some time spent. This is a hard one to describe short of book length, which I've been working on for years. If you know it, you know where to go. If you don't, be careful.
The stretch between Montgomery and Oswego can really get you in trouble if you're not careful. Some odd pockets of deeper water, but that is also what makes them worth fishing. I've always found that the west side of the river in this stretch is the best, but it's also the harder side to access since there is more private property.
Orchard Road. Upstream on the south end to the end of the island. Downstream all the way to Saw wee kee Park. There are a few spots downstream out in the middle you have to watch for, but this is overall a pretty shallow stretch of the river. The shore lines, especially on the south can be pretty good. If you're feeling daring, when you come to the islands, the best fishing is in that north channel. Some spots with the water at this level push hard and get a little deep, but it's not impossible. The highest the water has been in this area and I've survived is 2200 cfs. There was one part I did not like at all, but I was being stupid. Which I guess goes without saying if you're wading across rivers when they're flowing at 2200 cfs.
Below Yorkville down through Millbrook I wouldn't eve attempt right now. I'm still exploring this stretch and it's been one surprise after another.
As for creeks, I would hit Somonauk above Lake Holiday. Something has to be moving in there by now. Below the lake too should be good. Above and below Shabonna Lake in Indian Creek would be worth the effort for anyone willing to go that far out.
As for me, I've been hitting creeks just about every weekend for over a month. It's been uneventful so far, but I'm doing my own little research that isn't worth anything to anyone but me. I want to see how soon and how far up I catch my first smallie of the year out of certain creeks. This weekend should be bringing a few of them up. I'm going to try to do two creeks on Sunday afternoon, but one of them is somewhat of a death march and the other is too beautiful to walk away from in order to torture myself on a death march.
Once upon a time I had all the time in the world and debating on where to go wasn't an issue. Now, like many, my time is much more limited. Makes the decision process much more difficult.
One of the best things you can do is look through old posts on my site for the same time periods in years past. You'll be surprised at how things don't really change much from year-to-year.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/il/nwis/uv?dd ... o=05551540
Knowledgeable waders will be able to start making tentative forays out into the river, I think. As always with high water, fish the edges and look for well defined current breaks. What species you're fishing for won't really matter. They'll all be in relatively the same spots throughout any given day. They are all becoming active and they really don't have any place else to go.
As for locations, Geneva from the dam down to the railroad tracks would be good. In Batavia, the east shore from Glenwood Forest Preserve as far south as you feel like walking might be worth while. There is one area around the former archery range between the shore and a large island that should be wadeable no matter what the water level is.
North Aurora is always worth it this time of year. The more adventurous may want to try the winding channels along the meat packing plant as you head for I-88.
Indian Trail would be worth some time spent. This is a hard one to describe short of book length, which I've been working on for years. If you know it, you know where to go. If you don't, be careful.
The stretch between Montgomery and Oswego can really get you in trouble if you're not careful. Some odd pockets of deeper water, but that is also what makes them worth fishing. I've always found that the west side of the river in this stretch is the best, but it's also the harder side to access since there is more private property.
Orchard Road. Upstream on the south end to the end of the island. Downstream all the way to Saw wee kee Park. There are a few spots downstream out in the middle you have to watch for, but this is overall a pretty shallow stretch of the river. The shore lines, especially on the south can be pretty good. If you're feeling daring, when you come to the islands, the best fishing is in that north channel. Some spots with the water at this level push hard and get a little deep, but it's not impossible. The highest the water has been in this area and I've survived is 2200 cfs. There was one part I did not like at all, but I was being stupid. Which I guess goes without saying if you're wading across rivers when they're flowing at 2200 cfs.
Below Yorkville down through Millbrook I wouldn't eve attempt right now. I'm still exploring this stretch and it's been one surprise after another.
As for creeks, I would hit Somonauk above Lake Holiday. Something has to be moving in there by now. Below the lake too should be good. Above and below Shabonna Lake in Indian Creek would be worth the effort for anyone willing to go that far out.
As for me, I've been hitting creeks just about every weekend for over a month. It's been uneventful so far, but I'm doing my own little research that isn't worth anything to anyone but me. I want to see how soon and how far up I catch my first smallie of the year out of certain creeks. This weekend should be bringing a few of them up. I'm going to try to do two creeks on Sunday afternoon, but one of them is somewhat of a death march and the other is too beautiful to walk away from in order to torture myself on a death march.
Once upon a time I had all the time in the world and debating on where to go wasn't an issue. Now, like many, my time is much more limited. Makes the decision process much more difficult.
One of the best things you can do is look through old posts on my site for the same time periods in years past. You'll be surprised at how things don't really change much from year-to-year.
. End of May the 30th and 31st im thinking of heading up there. Its my brothers birthday so i said what an excuse for a camping trip. Its not for sure but ANYONE is willing to join 
. Cant wait to get back and fish that same stretch but i also want to fish the Salem unit. I assume you access from the N. Scout Camp Rd. bridge but where do you get out?