Smith Reservoir Fishing in Macoupin County, Illinois

• Overview

  Smith Reservoir stands in Macoupin County, Illinois. The surface lies 623 feet up. At about 64 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The whole outline is near 1.8 miles, and most of it is walkable. Start from Carlinville, 4.5 miles down the road. After that come Gillespie at 6.5 miles and Benld at 9.1 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Smith Reservoir

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Fish documented in Macoupin County include green sunfish, bluegill, white sucker, yellow bullhead and largemouth bass. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Work Smith Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 77°F at the top of summer and 26°F at the bottom of winter. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Smith Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. A pier half a mile from here gives a platform over deeper water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Recirculation Pond, 0.8 miles out. Rules at Smith Reservoir are worth checking on the day.