Busse Lake - Cook County, Illinois
Fishing Information & Reports
Busse Lake Facts
Size: 590 acres
Max Depth: 26 feet (average max depth: 10 feet)
Shoreline: 20.4 miles
Location: Bordered by Rt 53 on west, Arlington Heights Road on east, Higgins Rd on North. Located in the Ned Brown Forest Preserve
Fish: Largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, crappie, channel catfish, musky (since 2007), bluegill, warmouth, sunfish, yellow bass, pumpkinseed, bullhead, carp
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Jay's General Comments
Busse Lake gets a lot of attention from anglers of all skill levels - from the most seasoned anglers to the weekend fisherman, there is something for everyone. More often than not, the crowds, poor water clarity, and general (but miscast) bad rap that Busse Lake gets often has it over looked by those seeking quality fishing. This is unfortunate because Busse Lake is probably one of the best lakes in the entire region to catch a variety of species of game fish in good size and decent numbers.
Busse Lake is located in the Ned Brown forest preserve and was constructed in 1978 as a flood control reservoir and public recreation area. It was opened for fishing in 1980 after extensive stocking efforts.
Busse Lake is officially divided up into 3 sections - the main lake at 419 acres; the south pool at 146 acres, and the north pool at 25 acres. Other sections include the area north of Higgins road that turns into Salt Creek, Clearwater Bay which is connected to the Main Lake, Hasse Lake which is part of the south pool, the main dam which spills down into Salt creek from the main lake, and the warm-water-discharge just downstream of the main dam in Salt Creek.
What can you catch at Busse lake? Plenty! The walleye and largemouth bass angler will find Busse to be most appealing. Walleye have been stocked for years and flourish at Busse Lake. Largemouth bass do very well at Busse and catches of 20"+ are common annually. Northern Pike do ok at Busse lake, as does their cousin the muskellunge, which had been aggressively stocked since 2007. Catfish of 5 lbs.+ can be had from Busse Lake and crappie do very well too.
The shore angler will find a half dozen fishing walls located throughout the entire lake. And there are literally miles of workable shoreline. Those fishing from a boat will be able to access many terrific spots out of reach from the shoreline. There are sections of submerged timber, rocks, weedlines, lily pads, you name it. The structure at Busse Lake is very diverse and extensive. Most of my success fishing Busse Lake over the years from shore is to get off the beaten path. The areas closest to the parking lots often get hammered with pressure. Walking along a trail or some modest bushwhacking can often lead to very promising waters that receives little pressure.
The Busse Lake main lake and south pool areas are the sections that receive the most pressure from anglers pleasure crafters (no outboards or jet skiis thankfully). These are also the sections that receive annual stocking. Some recent stocking numbers...
Busse Lake 2010 Fish Stocking Report - Main Lake:
Catfish - 5143
Muskellunge - 840
Walleye - 13695
Busse Lake 2010 Fish Stocking Report - South Pool:
Catfish - 5143
Northern Pike - 427
Walleye - 7695
No idea how they come up with those odd numbers, nonetheless, Busse Lake is stocked annually with big numbers of fish. The North Pool of Busse Lake is not stocked and is frequently overlooked. Some of my best largemouth bass in recent years have come from the shorelines of the Busse Lake north pool including many fish of 18"+. No boats allowed on the north pool.
There are seasonal boat rentals on the main lake and you can access both the main lake and south pools from there. Very nice rowboats, canoes and kayaks are available for rental. Pricing is a little high and based on the hour, but still reasonable. I've rented a canoe just to go scouting around the lake to find new spots to access from shore. It's a beautiful lake for paddling and the boats can get to many of the remote locations where some big fish reside.
Ice fishing is popular through the winter months at Busse Lake when the ice is at least 4" thick. But even more popular during winter is the "Busse warm water discharge". Actually located on Salt Creek down from the main dam area, this discharge from a north suburban water treatment facility contains a section of water that never freezes and offers some excellent open water fishing for bass, northern pike, walleye, crappie, and bluegill when everywhere else is frozen solid. It is very shallow and the fish spook easily so it's important not to cause too much commotion and to fish with lighter gear.
Busse Lake Accommodations
There are plenty of large restroom facilities throughout the Ned Brown Forest Preserve as well as some porta-pottys. Some restrooms do have sinks with running water. Not always very clean, as these are still forest preserve facilities. There is lots of parking throughout the entire preserve.
The boat rentals have concessions available when they are open during the summer months. The surrounding communities have plenty of shops, restaurants, etc. Woodfield Mall, one of the largest malls in the country is located just minutes west of Busse Lake. Hotels and motels are not far either.
For bait and tackle, one of the best places in the entire area is Lee's Bait and Tackle located in the mall on Arlington Heights Road and Higgins. He has a large selection of live bait and some tremendous tackle, rods, reels, etc. A true quality shop.
Jay's Bottom Line
Busse Lake is one of the few shining stars for fishing in the Cook County forest preserve system. The surrounding forest preserve is also ideal for family picnics, corporate outings, barbecues, etc. The paved trails are great for joggers, hikers, bicycling, and rollerblading.
Busse Lake is a place where one can definately plan a fishing outing. A boat will increase chances of getting on some better fish, but the shore fisherman has 20 miles of shoreline to explore.
I've been enjoying this lake for over 15 years and still haven't covered half the water there.
For current Busse Lake conditions, fishing reports and news, visit the Busse Lake Forum of our message boards.
Map and Directions
Busse Lake is very easy to get to. There are several access points. The main entrance is on the south side of Higgins Road just east of Rt 53. This entrance offers access to the north pool, the main lake, and the south pool. Access to the main dam/salt creek/warm water discharge area is located on the west side of Arlington Heights Road just south of Oakton. There are a couple other entrances to small sections throughout.
Mapquest Map of Busse Lake
Mapquest to Main Dam/Salt Creek/discharge Section
Mapquest Map to Main Entrance