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738-acre reservoir near Girard. The lake tops out around 51 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 558 acres wrapped in 21 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 6.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 45% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.7 mi with a 1.4-mi widest point. Macoupin County claims this one. If the bite dies, Sunset Lake is 3 mi to the east.
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 43 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (43 ft) |
Come spring, look for muskellunge tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 23 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (23 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (23 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, white bass & hybrids slide up into 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 13 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (43 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (23 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts white bass in skinny water — 2 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for fall white bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (43 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Otter Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 43 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 Otter Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Otter Lake is about 51 ft (16 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 channel catfish, muskellunge, bluegill, white bass & hybrids, largemouth bass, white bass, crappie on Otter Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For channel catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark 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 Otter 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.
Sunset Lake 3 mi · Carlinville Lake 13 mi · Greenfield Lake 17 mi · Lake Lou Yaeger 21 mi · Lake Jacksonville 23 mi · Lake Springfield 24 mi · Mauvaise Terre Lake 26 mi · Sangchris Lake 26 mi · Lake Glenn Shoals 27 mi · Taylorville Lake 35 mi · Sangamon River 41 mi · Pittsfield Lake 48 mi
See how Otter Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best white bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill 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.