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1,269-acre lake in Christian County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 19 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 1,075 acres of water rimmed by 20.7 miles of bank. An index of 4.5 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 93% of this chart, as modeled. Call it 4.4 mi long by 1.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Christian County. The nearest mapped water is Sangchris Lake, 14 mi to the northwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 6 to 19 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 small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 19 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. 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 crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 19 ft, wintering in 6 to 19 ft. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 16 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| 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 | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 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 |
Start shallow in spring: freshwater drum sit in 5 to 19 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 5 to 19 ft covers summer, 6 to 19 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 16 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | Deep basin (16 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) |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 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 largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 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 | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, sauger slide up into 4 to 18 ft. Summer is a 6 to 19 ft game here, winter a 6 to 19 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 16 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait rigged through the warm months.
| 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 | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 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 Taylorville Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Taylorville Lake 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, crappie, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, sauger on Taylorville 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. 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 Taylorville 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.
Sangchris Lake 14 mi · Lake Glenn Shoals 22 mi · Lake Springfield 25 mi · Lake Lou Yaeger 26 mi · Sangamon River 27 mi · Lake Shelbyville 32 mi · Sunset Lake 32 mi · Lake Decatur 32 mi · Otter Lake 35 mi · Carlinville Lake 36 mi · Sara Lake 42 mi · Lake Altamont 43 mi
See how Taylorville Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best sauger 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.