Fishing at Chouteau Slough, Madison County, Illinois

• Overview

  Chouteau Slough is set in Madison County, Illinois. It stands 420 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 14 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is low-lying compared with other Illinois water we list. Supplies mean a trip to Mitchell, 3 miles off. Beyond it, Glasgow Village at 3.1 miles and Granite City at 3.4 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Chouteau Slough

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Madison County records list common carp, bluegill, green sunfish and channel catfish among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Chouteau Slough the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 78°F and January reads 28°F. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Anyone fishing Chouteau Slough regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Horseshoe Lake, 4.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Chouteau Slough should be assumed from this page alone.