Holiday Lake, Illinois: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Holiday Lake in the Madison County part of Illinois. The bank is 499 feet above sea level. Roughly 245 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. At about 6.4 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Size puts it in the front rank of our Madison County list. Head to Holiday Shores, 0.2 miles away, for anything you forgot. Further out sit Worden (5.3 miles) and Bethalto (5.7 miles). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Holiday Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Across Madison County, recorded fish include common carp, bluegill, green sunfish, channel catfish and goldfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Holiday Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 27°F to 77°F. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Plan around that when you fish Holiday Lake. Cool nights slow the mornings but sharpen the evenings.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is a slipway at Holiday Lake, roughly half a mile off. Lakeside Marina sits half a mile off, with launching and moorings. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Vesper Lake, 7.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Holiday Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.