Fishing at Chautauqua Lake, Jackson County, Illinois

• Overview

  Look for Chautauqua Lake in the Jackson County part of Illinois. It lies 430 feet above sea level. The water covers some 56 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 1.6 miles, small enough to learn in a day. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Illinois listings. Murphysboro lies 3.5 miles from the water. Then Carbondale, 4.7 miles, and De Soto, 7.8 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Chautauqua Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Across Jackson County, recorded fish include bluegill, orangethroat darter, green sunfish, largemouth bass and longear sunfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The near bank of Chautauqua Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 78°F and January about 31°F. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That shapes the year on Chautauqua Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lake Henry sits 2.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Chautauqua Lake if anything is unclear.