Barnes Lake, Illinois: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Marshall County, Illinois, sits Barnes Lake. Land around it is mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 8 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Marshall County standards. For a base, Lacon sits 2.1 miles out. North Peoria is the closest city, 24 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Barnes Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Fish documented in Marshall County include green sunfish, largemouth bass and logperch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Barnes Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 75°F in July and bottoms out near 22°F in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. After mid March the shallows warm and the fish move up. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid March until roughly late December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It sets the rhythm of the year at Barnes Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Wightman Lake, 3.2 miles away. Ask locally about Barnes Lake if anything is unclear.