Old City Reservoir in Madison County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Old City Reservoir falls in Madison County, part of Illinois. It sits at 531 feet above sea level. At 18 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Highland is the closest place, 2.2 miles off. Saint Jacob lies 5.5 miles off, Troy another 11 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Old City Reservoir

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Open biodiversity records for Madison County list common carp, bluegill, green sunfish and channel catfish. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Work Old City Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 77°F; by January the average is down near 28°F. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Old City Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The slipway at Silver Lake Boat Ramp is half a mile away. A parking area is marked roughly 160 yards out. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. Mapping shows a picnic spot within 150 yards. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Silver Lake sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Old City Reservoir for certain.