Louisville and Nashville Reservoir Fishing in Jefferson County, Illinois

• Overview

  Jefferson County, Illinois, is where Louisville and Nashville Reservoir sits. The bank is 512 feet above sea level. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The town to know is Mount Vernon, 0.8 miles out. St. Louis sits 73 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Louisville and Nashville Reservoir

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Public occurrence data for Jefferson County names green sunfish, bluegill, white sucker and largemouth bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Louisville and Nashville Reservoir fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 29°F to 78°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Louisville and Nashville Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. Public data records a pier about half a mile out. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Hawthorne Hills Lake, 2.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Louisville and Nashville Reservoir before loading the car.