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174-acre lake in Coles County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 19 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Paradise runs 171 acres with 4.3 miles of edge, broken up by an island. With a shoreline index of 2.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 91% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.4 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. The water lies in Coles County. The nearest mapped water is Lake Mattoon, 5 mi to the south.
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 19 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 19 ft, wintering in 6 to 19 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 16 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 19 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 19 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts flathead catfish in skinny water — 5 to 19 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 5 to 19 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 19 ft. Fall flathead catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 16 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 19 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 19 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
In spring, freshwater drum run shallow here, mostly 5 to 19 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 19 ft, and they winter in 6 to 19 ft. Winter freshwater drum concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 16 ft. Fish it in the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 19 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 5 to 19 ft | dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Lake Paradise also holds largemouth bass (6 to 19 ft in summer), sauger (6 to 19 ft in summer), saugeye (6 to 19 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (6 to 19 ft in summer), walleye (6 to 19 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 16 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 Paradise specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Lake Paradise is about 19 ft (6 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 bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, sauger, saugeye, smallmouth bass, walleye on Lake Paradise.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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.
Fishing on Lake Paradise 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.
Lake Mattoon 5 mi · Lake Shelbyville 14 mi · Charleston Lake 16 mi · Embarras River 19 mi · Sara Lake 23 mi · Walnut Point Lake 29 mi · Lake Altamont 30 mi · Sam Parr Lake 32 mi · Newton Lake 36 mi · Lake Decatur 38 mi · Lincoln Trail State Park Lake 39 mi · Taylorville Lake 44 mi
See how Lake Paradise stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best saugeye 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.