Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
22,795-acre lake in Clinton County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 35 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Carlyle Lake maps at 24,012 acres behind 101.6 miles of shoreline — 13 islands included. With a shoreline index of 4.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 73% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 14.4 mi end to end and 5.8 mi across at its widest. It sits in Clinton County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Centralia Reservoir, is 16 mi to the southeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: blue catfish in 5 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 9 to 35 ft, wintering in 11 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Old creek channel, a creek channel in the 18 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | |
| Summer | 9 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 11 to 35 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
Spring bluegill on Carlyle Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 11 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Brewster Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Brewster Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
Spring crappie on Carlyle Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Old creek channel first on the milk run — a creek channel near 18 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (18 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 11 to 35 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 30 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (18 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Carlyle Lake also holds sauger (10 to 30 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), striped bass (11 to 35 ft in summer), walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 21 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 30 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Carlyle Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Carlyle Lake is about 35 ft (11 m) deep 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.
Anglers target blue catfish, bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, sauger, smallmouth bass, striped bass, walleye, white bass, white bass & hybrids on Carlyle Lake.
Old creek channel is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For blue catfish, 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.
Fishing on Carlyle 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.
Centralia Reservoir 16 mi · Lake Centralia 19 mi · Kaskaskia River 22 mi · Forbes Lake 28 mi · Washington County Lake 30 mi · Lake Glenn Shoals 37 mi · Lake Altamont 38 mi · Sam Dale Lake 39 mi · Lake Lou Yaeger 40 mi · Rend Lake 45 mi · Sara Lake 45 mi · Baldwin Lake 46 mi
See how Carlyle Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best white bass lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.