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144-acre lake in Jasper County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 25 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, Sam Parr Lake runs 148 acres with 8.2 miles of edge. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 4.8) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 88% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 1.4 mi end to end and 0.9 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Jasper County. The nearest mapped water is Newton Lake, 11 mi to the southwest.
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. 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. 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 (11 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 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 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 21 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 | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 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 8 to 25 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 | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 21 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 | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring sauger on Sam Parr Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 18 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 21 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Sam Parr Lake also holds saugeye (8 to 22 ft in summer), striped bass (8 to 25 ft in summer), walleye (8 to 25 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 21 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 Sam Parr Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Sam Parr Lake is about 25 ft (8 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, largemouth bass, sauger, saugeye, striped bass, walleye, white bass, white bass & hybrids on Sam Parr 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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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 Sam Parr 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.
Newton Lake 11 mi · Embarras River 15 mi · East Fork Lake 19 mi · Sara Lake 29 mi · Lake Mattoon 30 mi · Charleston Lake 31 mi · Lincoln Trail State Park Lake 31 mi · Lake Altamont 32 mi · Lake Paradise 32 mi · Forbes Lake 40 mi · Black Cat Lake (Greene-Sullivan) 41 mi, IN · West Lake (Greene-Sullivan) 41 mi, IN
See how Sam Parr Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best white bass 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.