New Gillespie Lake Fishing Guide, Macoupin County, Illinois

• Overview

  New Gillespie Lake is a Macoupin County water, Illinois side. The land about it is open valley. With some 205 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Size puts it in the front rank of our Macoupin County list. Nearest place of any size is Gillespie, 3.4 miles away. The big place round here is St. Louis, 40 miles distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on New Gillespie Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Macoupin County list green sunfish, bluegill and white sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At New Gillespie Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 26°F in January to roughly 77°F in July. A lid forms in a hard winter only. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Time your trip to New Gillespie Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Old Gillespie Lake is 1.2 miles distant. Rules at New Gillespie Lake are worth checking on the day.