Smith Lake Fishing in Peoria County, Illinois

• Overview

  Smith Lake stands in Peoria County, Illinois. It stands 600 feet above sea level. Rome sits 4.3 miles from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, North Peoria is 11 miles off. Within easy reach: Staab Pond at 1.7 miles, Lake of the Woods lies 3.1 miles on, Arrowhead Country Club Lake at 3.6 miles, Upper Peoria Lake lies 4.2 miles on and Wildwind Lake at 8.1 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Smith Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Open biodiversity records for Peoria County list common carp, white perch and goldfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Smith Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 74°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid March. Averages suggest open water from about mid March through to roughly mid December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Smith Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Staab Pond at 1.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Smith Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.