Gaskin Lake Fishing near Flora, Illinois

• Overview

  In Illinois, Gaskin Lake falls inside Richland County. The water sits 417 feet up. Roughly 45 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 1.4 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. On our Richland County list it sits near the top for size. Some 10 miles away sits Flora, the nearest settlement. For a city, Evansville is 66 miles off. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Gaskin Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Records held for Richland County cover green sunfish, bluegill and longear sunfish. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The near bank of Gaskin Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 77°F for July and 28°F for January. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. That is the shape of the year on Gaskin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Nix Lake is 7 miles off. Confirm access to Gaskin Lake locally before you travel.