Litchfield Lake in Montgomery County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Montgomery County, Illinois. The setting is open valley. At 17 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is a small entry by Montgomery County standards. The closest town, Litchfield, is 2.2 miles distant. Hillsboro is 6.4 miles and Mount Olive 9.5 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Litchfield Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Reported across Montgomery County: green sunfish, yellow bullhead, johnny darter and bluegill. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Litchfield Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 77°F; by January the average is down near 26°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Litchfield Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lake Lou Yaeger sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Litchfield Lake if anything is unclear.