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42.3-acre reservoir in Vermont. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Traced from the shoreline, Vermont Lake runs 34 acres with 2.1 miles of edge. An index of 2.5 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 0.6 mi, about 0.3 mi across. The water lies in McDonough County. For a second option, Anderson Lake lies 16 mi southeast.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 10 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 10 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 10 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) |
When the water first warms, blue catfish slide up into 2 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) |
Vermont Lake also holds common carp (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 10 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 Vermont Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Vermont Lake is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, common carp on Vermont Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 Vermont 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.
Anderson Lake 16 mi · Schuy-Rush Lake 16 mi · Canton Lake 31 mi · La Harpe Reservoir 33 mi · Carthage Reservoir 37 mi · Siloam Springs Lake 39 mi · Mauvaise Terre Lake 43 mi · Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) 46 mi, IA/IL · Lake Jacksonville 46 mi · Lake Storey 47 mi · Pittsfield Lake 49 mi · Mackinaw River 54 mi
See how Vermont Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.