Heartland Outdoors

Ice fishing tourney at Evergreen

Mon, January 02, 2012

In the past few years, Evergreen Lake in McLean County has built a deserved reputation as a crappie fishing hotspot. The draw is not so much the slabs as the numbers.

Limits of crappie are not unusual at Evergreen. In fact, even during the warm days of summer, limits are fairly common.

And do the crappie bite well in winter, you ask? 

Come find out for yourself.

Ice permitting (which is a big questions this year), on Saturday, Feb. 11, Evergreen Lake/Comlara Park will hold its first ice fishing tournament, with sponsorship help from Heartland Outdoors and from Presley’s Outdoors in Bartonville.

Adults can fish from 8 a.m. to noon and will compete for first and second prizes in each division for the longest bluegill, crappie and bass and for the most fish caught for all three species.

Youngsters age 15 and younger are also invited to fish (with an adult partner) starting at 10 a.m.

The cost to enter is $5 per person in the adult division and $5 per adult/kid team.

Organizers will give out door prizes throughout the event (including free subscriptions to Heartland Outdoors magazine!) and all participants will be invited to eat a variety of free food.

Naturally, all ice fishing on Evergreen Lake is done at the visitor’s own risk. The McLean County Parks Department does not designate any specific areas of the lake as safe for this activity.

For more information about this first tournament or for a complete list of the tournament rules visit www.mcleancountyil.gov/parks or call the COMLARA Park Visitor Center at (309) 434-6770.

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