Fishing Lake Matherville in Mercer County, Illinois

• Overview

  Lake Matherville is set in Mercer County, Illinois. Around the bank it is mixed forest. At 11 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest place of any size is Aledo, 8.4 miles away. Davenport sits 18 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Lake Matherville

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Across Mercer County, recorded fish include channel catfish, johnny darter and green sunfish. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Lake Matherville to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 74°F; the cold one sits at 21°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid March. The lid tends to go about mid March and return around mid December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. At Lake Matherville the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Frye Lake at 6.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Lake Matherville as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.