Fishing Barths Lake in Macoupin County, Illinois

• Overview

  Macoupin County in Illinois is where Barths Lake sits. The bank is 636 feet above sea level. About 6 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Macoupin County are larger. Bunker Hill is the closest town at 1.2 miles. The big place round here is St. Louis, 30 miles distant. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Barths Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Public occurrence data for Macoupin County names green sunfish, bluegill, white sucker and yellow bullhead. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Barths Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 27°F in January to roughly 77°F in July. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. The season on Barths Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Bunker Hill Reservoir Number 2 at 2.4 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Barths Lake may have changed since it was mapped.