Fishing at Bertinetti Lake, Christian County, Illinois

• Overview

  Look for Bertinetti Lake in the Christian County part of Illinois. Country round the bank runs to farm and woodlot. The water covers some 49 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 1.7 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The nearest town is Taylorville, 3 miles away. The nearest city of size is Springfield, 28 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bertinetti Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Christian County records list bluegill, green sunfish, common carp, orangespotted sunfish and tadpole madtom among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Bertinetti Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 76°F at the top of summer and 26°F at the bottom of winter. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. The season on Bertinetti Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Moorings are at Lake Taylorville Marina, roughly 0.9 miles off. The car has to stay 0.9 miles away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lake Taylorville sits 4.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Bertinetti Lake as something to verify.