Lake Mildred near Red Bud: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Within Monroe County, Illinois, you have Lake Mildred. Elevation runs to 427 feet. This is a pocket water of some 18 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Illinois listings. The town to know is Red Bud, 9.3 miles out. After that come Sainte Genevieve at 11 miles and Waterloo at 15 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Lake Mildred

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Monroe County include bluegill, green sunfish, gizzard shad, orangethroat darter and common carp. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Lake Mildred the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 30°F to 78°F. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Plan around that when you fish Lake Mildred. Autumn feeding runs harder as the light drops away.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. River Cement Company Lake sits 12 miles off and takes the overflow. For Lake Mildred, the notice at the access point is the final word.