For anyone wishing to drive to Newton Lake (in Illinois), be forwarned: It is still closed-despite other state parks/lakes being (now) open.  My buddy and I made a 2 hour trek there only to be turned away (went to Sam Parr instead).  I was, to put it mildly and in g-rated terms, just a little "put-off."  

1 hour ago, Ratherbfishing said:

For anyone wishing to drive to Newton Lake (in Illinois), be forwarned: It is still closed-despite other state parks/lakes being (now) open.  My buddy and I made a 2 hour trek there only to be turned away (went to Sam Parr instead).  I was, to put it mildly and in g-rated terms, just a little "put-off."  

Sorry but no new parks have opened yet.  The rest (which should include Newton) open on May 29.  Sam Parr has been open all along.  

 

You can check parks here:

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/closures/Pages/ParksOpenDuringCoVID19.aspx

 

Open now, only fished one time due to a back/injury.  Usually out about every night.  Didn't do so well the one night I went because the weather and temps have been crazy.  Should be a good fall bite.  Caught a bunch of white bass (not LMB).  The white bass were active (when aren't they at Newton).  You can catch a ton of white bass at Newton, every cast if you hit them and they were bigger this year than is usual for this time of the year.  Catching the larger one we usually get in the fall.  Last year, I caught a lot of large LMB on spoons fishing for white bass.