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Fishing Carlinville Lake: what the data says
162-acre reservoir near Carlinville. The lake tops out around 18 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Crappie fishing at Carlinville Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 15 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Carlinville Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Carlinville Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Carlinville Lake
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 15 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Carlinville Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Common Carp fishing at Carlinville Lake
Spring common carp on Carlinville Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday |
Freshwater Drum fishing at Carlinville Lake
Start shallow in spring: freshwater drum sit in 5 to 18 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 15 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is the evening. A jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 15 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Carlinville Lake?
Carlinville Lake is about 18 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Carlinville Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, freshwater drum, common carp on Carlinville Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Carlinville Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Carlinville Lake?
For crappie, the summer bite is best in early morning 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.
Nearby waters
Otter Lake · Greenfield Lake · Lake Glenn Shoals · Lake Springfield · Sangamon River · Kaskaskia River
See how Carlinville 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
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