Fishing at Elks Reservoir, Perry County, Illinois

• Overview

  This water sits in Perry County, Illinois. It sits in farm and woodlot country. The nearest town is Pinckneyville, 4 miles away. It is 62 miles to St. Louis, the nearest city. Also on the doorstep: Du Quoin Lake at 4.8 miles, Illinois Central Reservoir just 5.4 miles, New Cherry Lake at 5.4 miles, Pinckneyville Reservoir just 5.5 miles and Cottonwood Lake at 5.7 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Elks Reservoir

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Public occurrence data for Perry County names bluegill, johnny darter, slough darter and largemouth bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Elks Reservoir responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 30°F in January up to 78°F in July. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. It sets the rhythm of the year at Elks Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Du Quoin Lake at 4.8 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Elks Reservoir.