Lake Oakland Fishing near Charleston, Illinois

• Overview

  Set in Coles County, Illinois, this is Lake Oakland. The bank is 650 feet above sea level. At about 33 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Head to Charleston, 14 miles away, for anything you forgot. Arcola lies 15 miles off, Villa Grove another 16 miles. Within a short drive: Walnut Point State Park Lake out at 2.4 miles, Spring Lake 13 miles, Lake Charleston out at 15 miles, Lawrence See Lake 17 miles and Twin Lakes out at 18 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Oakland

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Fish documented in Coles County include longear sunfish, bluegill, johnny darter and brindled madtom. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Take Lake Oakland a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 76°F; the cold one sits at 26°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. 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 Oakland. A settled spell fishes better than a bright one.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Walnut Point State Park Lake at 2.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Lake Oakland.