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1,326.1-acre reservoir near Havana. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 1,400 acres wrapped in 8.6 miles of bank. With a 1.6 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. End to end it runs roughly 3.3 mi, about 1.2 mi across. It sits in Fulton County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Vermont Lake, is 16 mi to the northwest.
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 9 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Anderson Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 9 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Anderson Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Anderson Lake is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target channel catfish, bluegill, largemouth bass, crappie on Anderson Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For channel catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Anderson Lake is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Vermont Lake 16 mi · Schuy-Rush Lake 21 mi · Canton Lake 28 mi · Mauvaise Terre Lake 34 mi · Lake Jacksonville 37 mi · Mackinaw River 44 mi · Lake Springfield 45 mi · Siloam Springs Lake 45 mi · Sangamon River 47 mi · La Harpe Reservoir 49 mi · Pittsfield Lake 49 mi · Carthage Reservoir 53 mi
See how Anderson Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.