Oak Lake in Perry County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Oak Lake in Perry County, Illinois. Everything around it is rolling hill. Pinckneyville is the closest town at 5.5 miles. After that come Du Quoin at 11 miles and Steeleville at 12 miles. Within a short drive: Ash Lake out at 0.1 miles, Elm Lake 0.1 miles, Marsh Lake out at 0.2 miles, Heron Lake 0.3 miles and Hook Lake out at 0.4 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Oak Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Perry County, recorded fish include bluegill, johnny darter, slough darter, largemouth bass and longear sunfish. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Oak Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 78°F on average, January about 30°F. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Plan around that when you fish Oak Lake. Water temperature lags the air by a week or so.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Heron Lake gives a made launch, half a mile off. There is a car park 70 yards from the bank. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Somewhere to sit and eat is 40 yards out. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Ash Lake, 0.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Oak Lake are worth checking on the day.