Gebhard Woods State Park, Morris, Illinois

Gebhard Woods State Park, Morris, Illinois

This little park is a true gem in the world of overlooked fishing. It is nestled in the far southwestern corner of Morris, Illinois. Founded as a state park in 1934 after the land was bought from Mrs. William Gebhard for $1,500, Gebhard Woods boasts three ponds that were formerly used for rearing gamefish. The other fishable waters are sections of the Illinois and Michigan (I&M) Canal and Nettle Creek.

My experience was that the ponds almost always produced very few fish that were miniscule and hard to come by. However, Nettle Creek and the canal could almost always be counted on to produce at least a few fish that would put a little bend in the pole.

Nettle Creek is a very small freestone stream very typical of the type found in Northeastern Illinois. Its native species include rock bass, bluegills, crappies, largemouth and smallmouth bass, carp, bullhead, channel catfish, suckersand northern pike, all of which I caught at one time or another within Gebhard Woods. The bass react most readily to #5 Rapalas, in blue/silver, black/silver or black/gold, #1 or #2 Mepps Black Furys, dressed, #1 or #2 Mepps Aglia Silver dressed, and Heddon Tiny Torpedos. Add in a red/white Darevdevil Spinnie, a Tiny Trap in shad colors, a Rebel Wee Craw Floater and some 1/8 oz beetle spins and you are well outfitted for most of the species in Nettle Creek. Flies that work well are poppers in sizes 10 thru 2, Muddler Minnows in the same sizes, olive/black or brown Wooly Buggers, Grey Ghost and Mickey Finn streamers. Shad are occasionally caught on beadhead caddis or Copper Johns in sizes 12 and 14.

Nettle Creek is hole fishing at its finest. You need to be able to read the water to determine clarity and the best angle to work your lure into for a good presentation. The one exception to this is a fairly deep section downstream from the footbridge to the I&M Canal aqueduct at the eastern end of the park. This is the section that, not surprisingly, yields the largest fish. It is also the section that turns out most of the northern pike. It is also in this section that Thistle Creek flows into Nettle Creek. There is often good fishing at this confluence and up Thistle Creek for a short distance. The best rock bass hole by far is found by casting under the I&M Canal aqueduct. Rock bass over a half pound have been taken from there on small crankbaits, Mepps spinners, beetle spins and swimtail grubs.

The I&M Canal is a leftover from the days of towpath barges such as the ones employed on the more famous Erie Canal. The fish that reside in this canal come there by natural recruitment from the water sources that feed into the canal. The list of species that reside in the canal is identical to that found in Nettle Creek, with the substitution of flathead catfish for northern pike.

The fishing in the I&M Canal is more seasonal than that in Nettle Creek and more predictable in some ways. For one thing, the smallmouth bass in the I&M Canal are partial to yellow. They like yellow-bodied 1/8 oz beetle spins, yellow #5 Rapalas and Mickey Finns, especially in late March and early April before the spawn. The largemouth bass are partial to darker colors. Before the spawn, work fat crankbaits or large tube jigs in dark colors slowly around any visible structure. Post-spawn they like spinnerbaits and rubber worms that are purple, dark brown, dark blue or black with silver blades. These are especially effective on casts parallel to shore along the many undercut banks. Muddler Minnows and Zonkers in size 8 to 2 will take either largemouths or smallmouths if you insist on using the long rod for more of a challenge. The crappies, bluegills and rock bass in the canal like their lures somewhat smaller than those in Nettle Creek. Move down to 1/16 or even 1/32 oz grubs and throw size 0 Roostertail or Mepps spinners. The size 0 Mepps MinnoSpin is often deadly for crappies here.

Warning: People will try to tell you there are no gamefish in the I&M Canal. Just smile and nod and keep casting! They may think you odd, but you’ll be having far more fun than them.

The best time to fish the waters of Gebhard Woods is at dawn and dusk. This is a high-traffic park and fish are sensitive to their exposure during the brightest parts of the day. You will also have to adjust less for bicyclists, joggers, strollers, yapping dogs and howling kids if you fish at sunrise and sunset. Another great time to go to Gebhard Woods is when a nice thunderstorm is blowing in, although you need to fish Nettle Creek if there is any threat of lightning, since it lies far lower than the canal. There is a trail down to the creek from the canal at the aqueduct, but I would advise using it before it has rained very long. A nice, gentle rain should find you casting spinners on the canal since the smallmouth go on sprees in the rain. If you can get a gentle rain at dusk, try a black shore minnow Zara Spook cast parallel to the cutbanks and hang on to your pole tight.

So there you have it! You should be able to get started catching fish at Gebhard Woods State Park. Drop me a line or leave a comment here and let me know how it went for you!