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GRUNWALD LAKE
Lake Information
County: Kane
Acreage: 15
Average Depth: 8.07 feet
Recreational Amenities
Boat Fishing? Electric motors
Boat Ramps? Yes
Boat Rental? No
Skiing? No
Swimming? No
There are no zebra mussels in this lake.
Fishing Outlook ( Full PDF Report )
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Species |
Rank |
Fish Status |
Fair | Deeper water in this lake make crappie difficult to detect with electrofishing. | |
Very Good | Bluegill were captured at a rate a little lower than some other lakes in the area, but the size structure is excellent. Bluegill ranged in size from 4.5 to 8.7 inches, with an average size of 6.3 inches. Sixty-one percent of the catch was longer than six inches. This lake offers anglers the chance at a good number of bluegill over 8 inches. | |
Improving | Fishing for channel catfish should be better in the future as this lake will be entered into IDNR’s channel catfish stocking program | |
Good | In our 2014 survey, largemouth bass were abundant and ranged in size from 5.7 to 15.0 inches, and weighed up to 1.7 pounds. The average bass in the sample was 9.6 inches long. Only four percent of the catch was over 14 inches, indicating this population still needs a few years before trophy size are available. | |
Location: Lake Grunwald is located at the Grunwald Farms Forest Preserve south of Elburn. This off-the-beaten-path lake can be accessed by heading west on Main Street from Route 47 (near Fisherman’s Inn). The entrance is off of Lorang Road approximately 1.1 miles west of Route 47 (02S035 North Lorang Road, Elburn).
Description: Lake Grunwald is a 15-acre former gravel mine with a maximum depth of 20 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. The lake is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County (FPDKC) and opened in 2012. There is good shoreline fishing access available via a gravel trail around the lake. Electric motors are allowed and a boat ramp is available. Complex structure of drop offs and flats provide diverse habitat in this lake. Several fish attracting structures are located in the lake.
History and Status of the Sport Fishery: In 2014, the FPDKC entered into a cooperative management agreement with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to facilitate fisheries management activities. Channel catfish are occasionally stocked to supplement the population. Site-specific regulations apply. An electrofishing survey took place in May 2014.
While no trophy-sized largemouth bass were captured in this survey, bass abundance is very high. This lake does offer boat access (electric motors only), which is extremely rare in the Chicagoland Area. This lake will be entered into the IDNR channel catfish stocking program in the future. Hybrid sunfish were the only other additional species detected in this survey.
Contact Information: Forest Preserve District of Kane County 630-232-5980 IDNR Fisheries Biologist, Andy Plauck815-675-2386 ext. 214