Illinois Chain O’Lakes

The Chain O’Lakes in northeastern Illinois is your ticket to solid relaxation or adventure. Spend some time boating, skiing, tubing, kayaking and swimming, kick back at any number of lakeside resorts, or fi nd a quiet channel leading to an inlet bay for some lazy afternoon fi shing. The options are endless.

Illinois-Wisconsin state line

Fox River Channel Lake

Lake Catherine

Lake Marie

Chain O'Lakes State Park

Grass Lake

Fox River Nippersink Lake

Fox Lake

Pistakee Lake

Redhead Lake Duck Lake Bluff Lake

Spring Lake

Petite Lake

Long Lake

Summer Beckons on the

Chain O’Lakes

by Gregory Harutunian

Can you imagine a solid sheet of ice that’s two miles high covering the upper central states? As it slowly retreated, the river esker’s melting action underneath scoured and gouged out the landscape, also leaving frozen chunk deposits. This era ended 11,000 years ago, and geologists named it the Wisconsin Glacial Stage. One of the grandest remnants and features of this event is the Chain O’Lakes.

Fed by the Fox River and freshwater springs, this flowing system includes 15 interconnected lakes, 40 miles of navigable channels and more than 100 years of history as a recreational destination. Whether coming for the Egyptian Lotus Beds or the shoreline resorts starting in the 1890s, visitors have long been drawn to the water and region.

Located in Illinois’ Lake and McHenry counties, the Chain O’Lakes has more than 488 miles of shoreline surrounding approximately 7,100 acres of water. Channels and bays seem to meander like arteries along the Fox River, spanning 45 miles from Wilmot, Wisconsin, to the McHenry Stratton Lock and Dam, and ending at the Algonquin Dam. Resorts and restaurants dot the banks, with many providing boat launch facilities and parking. Finding that ideal spot for personal time or a place to enjoy family friendly activities is easy — it’s all here.

The Fox Waterway Agency (FWA), created by the state of Illinois, oversees the maintenance and safety of the Chain O’Lakes. They issue permits for boats using the waterway system, and then use those funds for various tasks: The removal of debris, the relocation of accumulated silt in channels to farmlands and nearby shores, enhancing water quality, providing environmental stability and promoting tourism.

“We have an obligation to care for this precious waterway, which has proven its worth in providing an essential sanctuary of enjoyment at a time when it is needed most,” says Joe Keller, the agency’s executive director. “Our mission is… keeping our waterways safe and navigable for residents and users alike.” Destinations and ports of call Start your Chain O’Lakes adventure at The Chain O’Lakes State Park, which offers free boat launches and camping sites. The park touches on three major Chain lakes: Grass, Marie and Nippersink. It also connects with the Fox River leading to the other seven major lakes: Bluff, Fox, Pistakee, Channel, Petite, Spring and Catherine.

Columbia Bay, Fox Lake El Puerto Mexican Restaurant

Blarney Island

Another Chain access point is at Ben Watts Marina in Fox Lake, located on Route 12. This private launch site has multiple ramps and entry points leading into “the straightaway,” a stretch of water on Pistakee Lake between Eagle Point and Cedar Island, heading to McHenry County and the Fox River (south), and the Chain (north).

For swimmers, the spot to be is Lake Marie. With an average depth of 14 feet, the spring-fed waters are clear and cool on a hot day, and the lake’s sandbars are a popular place to anchor. The deeper waters to the northeast are good for anglers with bass, pike and walleye on the fare. There are boat ramps on the north and east shores.

Swimming is good anywhere on the Chain, although Fox and Nippersink lakes can be busy with boat traffic and choppy waters. The general rule for swimming is stay close to the shore and wear life jackets.

Moving south, from Lake Marie into Grass Lake, a white building on pylons will be seen rising out of the waters. In the middle of the lake is Blarney Island, a Caribbean-themed bar that calls itself the “Key West of the Midwest.” The bar’s legend involves a poker game in the early 1900s between owners of competing boat excursion lines, which resulted in a tragic end and the winner eventually taking over the site. Key activities here include the popular Thursday Night Drag Boat Races and weekend music festivals throughout the summer.

Over 100 years ago, city dwellers took the train lines to Fox Lake and Antioch to view the famed Egyptian Lotus Beds, making this region a destination. Boats would follow a path cut through the dense fragrant beds of this yellow flower that covered an area south of Grass Lake, near Crabapple Island. Increased boat traffic and raised lake levels brought its demise. However, leaving Blarney’s Island and heading south beyond the Grass Lake Road Bridge, what remains of the lotus beds is visible along the western shore.

Fox Lake has 25.16 miles of shoreline and a surface area of more than 1,800 acres, one of the largest in the Chain, coupling shoreline restaurants and businesses with a bustling village lakefront. Some of the more well-known spots with dockage are El Puerto Mexican Restaurant, offering casual Mexican fare, and Fairmont Shores, known for its seafood. Mineola Marine, Chain of Lakes Marina, Fox Lake Harbor and Munson Marine have boat slips and boat servicing.

“Fox Lake is fortunate to be considered ‘the heart of the Chain O’Lakes’ and honored to have 10 exceptional marinas offering over a thousand boat slips and boat services,”

Navigation and points of access

All boats on the chain must display a Fox Waterway Agency sticker, which are available in one-day, 10-day and full season options. The FWA recommends a quick peek online for launch site information and navigation charts. Its website

(FOXWATERWAY.COM) has detailed mapping links showing no-wake zones and current water levels.

Chain O'Lakes Marina

Resources

➽ Arrow Marine

THEARROW100.COM

847-587-0100

➽ Ben Watts Marina

BENWATTSMARINA.COM

847-587-0211

➽ Chain O'Lakes

Marina

COLMARINA.COM

847-587-6222

➽ Fox Lake Harbor

FOXLAKEHARBOR.COM

847-587-0200

➽ Fox Waterway

Association

FOXWATERWAY.COM

847-587-8540

➽ Lake County,

Illinois Convention & Visitors Bureau

VISITLAKECOUNTY.ORG

847-662-2700

➽ Mineola Marine

MINEOLAMARINE.COM

847-587-2777

➽ Munson Marine

MUNSONMARINE.COM

847-587-4902

Famous Freddie's Roadhouse

The Lake House on Pistakee

says Donovan Day, the village’s economic development director. “We have over 230,000 visitors by boat in the Fox Lake area each year. There’s boating, boat races, watersports, year-round fishing and pier access to explore the downtown within walking distance, and always with the freedom to have fun.”

Fox Lake flows into Nippersink Lake and under the two Route 12 bridges, an unofficial boundary separation with Pistakee Lake. The bridges are for a state highway and a parallel train trestle with double tracks. The train bridge once employed an operating swivel turret, now frozen in place, which swung out to allow larger vessels to pass underneath at the north opening, called “the high side.” The bridges’ south opening was initially part of a hand-dug channel for access, called “the low side.” Passing through, look up at the bridge girders and you will understand its nickname, “Beer Can Bridge.”

Follow the channel to Pistakee Lake, and the eastern shore is host to several marinas for boating needs: Arrow Marine, Dick’s Marine Services and Light House Marina. Grab a bite at one of the dockside restaurants like the aptly named Dockers and Famous Freddie’s Roadhouse. This lake has a 22-mile shoreline and nearly 1,700 acres of water, making it the second largest body of water on the Chain. It hosts all manner of recreational water activities with an average depth of 6 feet.

Take a run across the lake to the McHenry County side and the path through Johnsburg and the Fox River to find another shore with bars and restaurants like The Lake House on Pistakee and Moretti’s Riverside in McHenry. The river route leads to the William Stratton Lock and Dam, named for Illinois’ former governor. It received a $16.7 million face-lift in 2014. Being inside the lock as the water rises or falls, depending on your river direction, is a treat for kids. Fishing The Chain O’Lakes has long been a magnet for fishermen looking for that perfect place to cast a line and let the cares drift with the current. There are certain areas of choice, all contingent on spring or summer weather. The channel under “Beer Can Bridge” is one example because of the freshwater flow into the adjacent Nippersink Lake. Anglers are always on the banks going for walleye, bass, bluegill and the occasional pike.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF (L-R): FOX LAKE VILLAGE PARKS & REC FACEBOOK; ANTIOCH CHAMBER WEBSITE

“A lot has to do with timing, and the entire Fox-Chain system has great fishing depending on what you want to go for,” says Greg Dickson, owner of Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch. “Walleye you’re going to find in the currents or river system, crappies in the channels, catfish are in the shallows of Grass, Nippersink and Fox lakes.

“Traditionally, a lot has to do with the weather and the species here on the Chain,” he continues. “Instead of staying in the backwaters, fish will migrate out to the open water during the early spring and summer. Local bait shops will usually tell you the information on the good spots that are hitting — maybe.”

Visiting the Chain O’Lakes for any recreational activities is the same as an open invitation to enjoy the best fun that summertime can offer. People are nicer, the pace is more relaxed, and you can take in that rare air that only lake life and resort communities can offer. Hey, it’s in the water! ★

Fox Lake Fall Fest Taste of Antioch

2022 Events

JULY 1-4 Blarney Island 4th of July Weekend JULY 2 Celebrate Fox Lake JULY 8 –9 Shake the Lake JULY 14 – 17 Antioch Taste of Summer AUGUST TBD PWC Chain Gang Annual Loop the Lakes OCTOBER 2 Village of Fox Lake Fall Fest NOVEMBER 26 Fox Lake Festival of Lights

Professional, courteous service for all your boating needs. SALES • SERVICE SLIPS • STORAGE HEART OF THE CHAIN O’LAKES: COME AND HAVE FUN!