Fishing at Scott Lake, Saint Clair County, Illinois

• Overview

  Set in Saint Clair County, Scott Lake is an Illinois water. The setting is mixed woodland. At 12 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Start from Scott Air Force Base, 0.9 miles down the road. The nearest city of size is St. Louis, 20 miles away. In the same area: Lake Suzanne within 3.1 miles, Fairwood Lake after 5 miles, Lake Christine within 6.3 miles, Inez Lake after 6.8 miles and Yoch Lake within 7 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Scott Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Saint Clair County records list bluegill, green sunfish, largemouth bass and common carp among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Scott Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 29°F to 78°F. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Scott Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern. Wind direction matters more than wind strength.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Lake Suzanne is 3.1 miles distant. For Scott Lake in particular, ask before you travel.