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4,585-acre lake in De Witt County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 45 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, Lake Clinton draws 4,858 acres inside 63.2 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. An index of 6.5 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 51% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 11.6 mi, about 5 mi across. You'll find it in De Witt County. For a second option, Dawson Lake lies 17 mi north.
Spring blue catfish on Lake Clinton hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 14 to 45 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 38 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Sharp break (16 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (16 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (16 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, striped bass slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is a 14 to 45 ft game here, winter a 14 to 45 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 38 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 16 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (7 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (16 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (16 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (38 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Early season white bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 40 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 11 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Lake Clinton also holds white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 15 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 38 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 Lake Clinton specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Lake Clinton is about 45 ft (14 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, crappie, largemouth bass, striped bass, walleye, white bass, white bass & hybrids on Lake Clinton.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 38 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Lake Clinton 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.
Dawson Lake 17 mi · Lake of the Woods 18 mi · Lake Decatur 23 mi · Lake Bloomington 33 mi · Evergreen Lake 34 mi · Sangamon River 39 mi · Homer Lake 43 mi · Mackinaw River 44 mi · Lake Shelbyville 47 mi · Walnut Point Lake 52 mi · Taylorville Lake 53 mi · Sangchris Lake 54 mi
See how Lake Clinton stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best white bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie 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.