Lake Evergreen is located Northwest of Hudson. Take I-39 until you reach exit 8 to E 2500 N Road until you reach the recreation area. Lake Evergreen offers fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, and much more! The lake has many trails for hiking and biking. The trails are very clear and are easy to use. There are designated trails to be used by bikes and others used for hiking. Bike trails have varying difficulties. There are trails that young kids can do all the way up to trails that experienced bikers can ride.
Phone: (309) 434-6770
Fax: (309) 726-2025
Website http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/index.aspx?nid=92 (camping)
http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/index.aspx?NID=360 (fishing)
http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/index.aspx?NID=357 (boating)
Camping
There are also varying campgrounds offered. Open field campgrounds for very large groups, campgrounds with electricity provided for campers or groups who desire electricity, and the scenic forest campgrounds with a picnic table and fire pit. Campgrounds allow a 2 tent maximum per site and cost differently per night for each type of campground. The areas to camp are as follows: Deer Island Area, Lake View Area, Main Recreation Area, Mallards Bay Conservation Area, Six Mile Creek Area, Southeast Conservation Area, Southwest Conservation Area, and the White Oak Area.
Fishing
Fishing is one of the main attractions to this lake. Evergreen Lake offers a wide array of fishing challenges, including largemouth bass, crappie, hybrid walleye (saugeye), muskie, bluegill, and channel catfish. There are many regulations on the size and number of fish you're allowed to keep. Fish such as bluegill and crappie, there are no size requirements, but a limit of 15. As for one of the most poplar fish, saugeye, you can only keep 7 and they have to be at least eighteen inches. With a total land mass of 900 acres fishers have plenty of area to fish to their needs. Lake Evergreen also offers a bait shop for fishermen who use live bait or for children who are inexperienced. There is also a small selection of lures available. The shop is open 6:00am-6:00pm 7 days a week. Fishers can fish from the shore or put their own boat in the water from the two dual lane launch ramps the lake provides or they can rent one from the boat rental. Remember that in Illinois, if you're 16 then you are required to have a fishing license. These license usually run at about 15 dollars, but anybody younger than 16 doesn't require a license. Happy fishing!
Boat Rental
The Boat Rental is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The boats that are available consist of canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, rowboats, and rowboats with a 5 horse power motor attached. Rental prices vary from boat to boat and how long one desires to rent it for. Personal boats must be registered under an Illinois sticker, cost can be an annual fee of $47 (McLean County residents receive a $10 discount) or a daily fee of $18 (McLean County residents receive a $4 discount). Lake Evergreen is pet friendly and smoke friendly (as long as cigarette butts are disposed of appropriately).
