Mallard Lake Forest Preserve

Caught Northern Pike ice fishing before Christmas thaw, with recent cold should have good ice again soon January

I went there last year on it was a nice place to take a hike and look around the lake.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Very nice lake with lots of bluegills and some pretty decent-sized bass swimming around. My family loves coming here, and my son especially loves catching bass – yep, he’s officially leveled up from bluegills. 😂 It does get crowded with other fishing folks, but if you get there right when the park opens, you’ll have a good chance at snagging the best deck spots. The water is super clean in most parts, and you can see the fish clearly, which makes it extra exciting for kids. We even spotted what looked like a Muskie or maybe a Pike – not too sure, we’re still working on our fish identification skills. 🤷‍♂️ Either way, it’s a great place for family fishing trips and creating some epic ‘big fish’ stories to tell later.

Wow such a beautiful park! Nice walking trails around the lake. It’s absolutely beautiful in the evening with the sunset. Lots of wildlife including birds, turtles, etc…nice getaway from the city life. Lots of parking. Great place to hike and bike. There is a dock for fishing too. Trails are well maintained.

Such a nice park with ample place to walk among the wild flower fields and to enjoy some fishing. We caught and released plenty of blue gills and sun fish. We've also had a wonderful time watching barn swallows and listening to various wild birds - it was a really pleasant trip!