Fishing Crabapple Lake in Brown County, Illinois

• Overview

  In Illinois, Crabapple Lake falls inside Brown County. This is pine and birch ground. Surface area is around 58 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. With about 2.1 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. The closest town, Mount Sterling, is 12 miles away. After that come Camp Point at 13 miles and Barry at 14 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Crabapple Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Records held for Brown County cover bluegill, common carp and slenderhead darter. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Crabapple Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 76°F and January near 25°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Break-up comes around early March, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about early March to late December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan any trip to Crabapple Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lake Mount Sterling, 13 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Crabapple Lake locally before you travel.