Fishing at Road Fill Lake, Fulton County, Illinois

• Overview

  Road Fill Lake is one of the Fulton County waters in Illinois. It sits at 604 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 29 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. 1.6 miles away sits Cuba, the nearest town. The big place round here is Peoria, 33 miles distant. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Road Fill Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Survey and observation records for Fulton County include common carp, goldfish, white perch and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Road Fill Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 75°F on average, January about 23°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid March. Averages suggest open water from about mid March through to roughly late December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Time your trip to Road Fill Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Slug Run Lake is 0.4 miles off. Where Road Fill Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.