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Fishing Forbes Lake: what the data says
523-acre lake near Illinois. The lake tops out around 28 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Bluegill fishing at Forbes Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| 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 | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Forbes Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 28 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday |
Common Carp fishing at Forbes Lake
Spring common carp on Forbes Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. 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 | 8 to 28 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Forbes Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. 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 | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Forbes Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 28 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Saugeye fishing at Forbes Lake
In spring, saugeye run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 22 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for winter saugeye. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Forbes Lake also holds striped bass (8 to 28 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (8 to 28 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 24 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Forbes Lake?
Forbes Lake is about 28 ft (9 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.
What fish are in Forbes Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, striped bass, white bass & hybrids, common carp on Forbes Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Forbes Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Forbes Lake?
For bluegill, 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
Sam Dale Lake · Lake Centralia · Lake Altamont · Centralia Reservoir · Sara Lake · Newton Lake
See how Forbes Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best saugeye lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois
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