Forbes Lake in Marion County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Marion County, Forbes Lake is an Illinois water. The surface lies 518 feet up. It measures some 523 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The margin runs to about 7.9 miles in total. The town to know is Salem, 12 miles out. For a city, St. Louis is 78 miles off. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Forbes Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Reported across Marion County: green sunfish, slough darter and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Forbes Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 77°F for July and 28°F for January. A lid forms in a hard winter only. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Forbes Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern. Autumn feeding runs harder as the light drops away.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Rose Lake is 6.9 miles off. Check the position on Forbes Lake before loading the car.