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46.8-acre reservoir near Altamont. The lake tops out around 31 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 47 acres wrapped in 4 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 4.2) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 69% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 0.8 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. It sits in Effingham County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Sara Lake, is 8 mi to the northeast.
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 9 to 31 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come fall. 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 | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (28 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 28 ft that scores prime in winter. 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 feeding flat (17 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (28 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season common carp use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 30 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 28 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (28 ft) |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 9 to 31 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 28 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 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (28 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (28 ft) |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 28 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 | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (28 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 28 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Altamont specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Lake Altamont is about 31 ft (9 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, common carp, channel catfish, crappie on Lake Altamont.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 28 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 Lake Altamont 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.
Sara Lake 8 mi · Forbes Lake 22 mi · Newton Lake 25 mi · Lake Mattoon 26 mi · Lake Paradise 30 mi · Embarras River 31 mi · Sam Parr Lake 32 mi · Lake Shelbyville 32 mi · Sam Dale Lake 35 mi · Lake Centralia 37 mi · Carlyle Lake 38 mi · Centralia Reservoir 40 mi
See how Lake Altamont 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.