Elm Lake Fishing Guide, Perry County, Illinois

• Overview

  Elm Lake lies in Perry County, Illinois. It stands 453 feet above sea level. Small even by pond standards, it rewards one careful line. It is a small entry by Perry County standards. You are 5.4 miles from Pinckneyville. After that come Du Quoin at 11 miles and Steeleville at 12 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Elm Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Perry County include bluegill, johnny darter and slough darter. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Elm Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 30°F to 78°F. Whether it freezes depends on the year. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. The season on Elm Lake rarely departs from it. Early and late in the day beat the middle for most of the year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. The nearest recorded ramp is Heron Lake, half a mile out. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. Public data records a pier about half a mile out. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. The nearest alternative is Ash Lake, 0.1 miles out. None of that is settled for Elm Lake in what we hold.