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DAWSON LAKE
Lake Information
County: McLean
Acreage: 161
Average Depth: 10.1 feet
Shoreline Length: 5.1 miles
Recreational Amenities
Boat Fishing? idle speed/no wake 10hp
Boat Ramps? Yes
Boat Rental? Yes
Skiing? No
Swimming? Yes
Picnicking? Yes
Camping? Yes
There are no zebra mussels in this lake.
Fish Stocking | |||
Year |
Species |
Size |
Count |
2021 |
Channel Catfish |
Advanced Fingerling 4 - 7" |
5000 |
2021 |
Redear Sunfish |
Fingerling 1 - 3" |
78996 |
2021 |
Walleye x Sauger (Saugeye) |
Fingerling 1 - 3" |
14945 |
2022 |
Channel Catfish |
Advanced Fingerling 4 - 7" |
3160 |
2022 |
Redear Sunfish |
Fingerling 1 - 3" |
63405 |
2022 |
Walleye x Sauger (Saugeye) |
Fingerling 1 - 3" |
11792 |
Additional information for stocking on Dawson Lake - MVSRA
Fishing Outlook ( Full PDF Report )
Click here for a list of all reports.
Species |
Rank |
Fish Status |
Fair | During the most recent survey, Black Crappie were collected at a rate of 12 per hour and the average catch rate is 54.3 per hour. Of the Black Crappie collected over 5”, 50% were over 8” and 33% were over 10”. The crappie fishery is very cyclic and has been on a downward trend the past three years. Hopefully, the crappie fishery will rebound quickly. Site Regulation: 15 fish daily limit. | |
Fair | During the most recent survey, Bluegill were collected at a rate of 172 per hour. Of the Bluegill over 3 inches, only 5% were over 6 inches and none were over 8 inches. The Bluegill fishery is rated as poor to fair. In order to improve the Bluegill fishery, only 5 Bluegill over 8 inches will be allowed to be harvested. Anglers will be allowed to harvest 20 Bluegill in total, which is an increase from the old regulation of 15 per day. It is important to not overharvest large Bluegill from the fishery. Site Regulation: 20 fish daily limit, only 5 fish over 8" limit. | |
Very Good | Channel Catfish are stocked each year from the State Hatchery System. The latest survey collected 16 catfish per hour and represents a high number of catfish in Dawson. The average catch rate for the past 10 surveys is 27.4 per hour. Approximately 7% of the catfish collected were over 16 inches. The catfish population is maintained from annual stockings. Site Regulation: 15 fish daily limit. | |
Improving | The most recent bass survey resulted in a catch rate of 127 bass per hour. There are a large number of bass less than 15 inches in Dawson Lake. Of the bass collected over 8 inches, 70% were over 12 inches and 20% were over 15 inches. A new regulation was implemented in 2015 to increase the number of larger bass in the lake. The regulation will allow anglers to remove 2 bass under 15 inches and only one bass over 15 inches. Gizzard shad were first collected in 2018 and may improve the growth rate and size structure of the bass population. The catch rate for bass over 15 inches in 2021 was the highest catch rate recorded in almost 20 years. | |
Excellent | Saugeye have been stocked into Dawson Lake since 2003. During the most recent saugeye electrofishing survey, 57 Saugeye were collected per hour of sampling. The Saugeye ranged in length from 14 inches to 26.6 inches. The heaviest Saugeye weighed 7.98 pounds and the average weight for all Saugeye was 3 pounds. Dawson has an excellent Saugeye fishery. | |
Location: Dawson Lake is located in Moraine View State Recreation Area. Dawson Lake is located between Bloomington/Normal and Champaign/Urbana north of I-74 at the LeRoy exit.
Description: This fertile 160.8 acre lake was built in 1962 and has a maximum depth of 25.5 feet and an average depth of 10 feet. Presently, an idle-speed/no-wake speed limit exists for boat motors over 10 horsepower and no speed limit for motors 10 horsepower or less. There is a two-lane launching ramp and docking facility. A concession stand, located near the boat dock and launch, offers dock and boat rental, fishing tackle, bait, refreshments and various supplies. A restaurant, seating 60, serves breakfast and lunch daily. Bowfishing is allowed from a boat.
History and Status of the Sport Fishery: The IDNR Division of Fisheries has been active in the management of the fisheries in Dawson Lake since the lake was constructed in 1962. The lake receives stockings of saugeye, redear sunfish, and channel catfish.
Additional Lake Information: 2 pole and line fishing only, except that bowfishing is allowed from a boat.
Site Regulations:
Largemouth Bass: 2 fish less than 15" and 1 fish greater than 15", 3 fish daily limit
Walleye/Saugeye: 15" length limit, no more than 1 fish over 20:, 3 fish daily limit
Channel Catfish: 6 fish daily limit
Crappie: 15 fish daily limit
Redear Sunfish/Bluegill: Only 5 fish over 8", 20 fish daily limit
Contact Information: Moraine View Recreation Area 309-724-8032 IDNR Fisheries Biologist, Mike Garthaus217-784-4730
There were 7 tournaments held on this waterbody in 2022.
| Species | Total Fish Caught |
| Largemouth Bass | 180 |
Top 5 Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2022 tournaments:
| 1 5.18 lbs | 2 4.94 lbs | 3 4.50 lbs | 4 4.42 lbs | 5 4.19 lbs |
Top 5 Total Tournament Weight of Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2022 tournaments:
| 1 | 85.37 lbs |
| 2 | 85.06 lbs |
| 3 | 24.50 lbs |
| 4 | 23.45 lbs |
| 5 | 19.71 lbs |
Multiple day tournaments are listed with * end date.
Interested in participating in one of these public tournaments? Contact us with tournament ID for more information.
| 2023 – 2024 Approved or Pending Tournaments | ||||||||
| Start Date | ID | Approval | Ramp Location | Bank/Boat Hook/Bow |
Max Boats | Species | Youth? | Open to Public? |
| April-02 | 25964 | Approved | Main Ramp | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| April-21 | 26079 | Approved | Main Ramp | boathook | 6 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| August-11 | 26080 | Approved | Main Ramp | boathook | 6 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| September-17 | 25965 | Approved | Main Ramp | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
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