Fishing at Nix Lake, Richland County, Illinois

• Overview

  In Illinois, Nix Lake belongs to Richland County. The water sits 466 feet up. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Richland County list holds plenty of bigger water. Start from Olney, 9.7 miles down the road. Evansville is the closest city, 68 miles away. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Nix Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Records held for Richland County cover green sunfish, bluegill, longear sunfish, redfin pickerel and blackside darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Nix Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 77°F and January near 28°F on the long-run figures. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Plan any trip to Nix Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. McCarthy Lake, 5.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Nix Lake are worth checking on the day.