YMCA Camp Lake Fishing near Belleville, Illinois

• Overview

  YMCA Camp Lake sits within Saint Clair County in Illinois. It sits in rolling hill. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Head to Belleville, 3.4 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 14 miles to St. Louis, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on YMCA Camp Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. County-wide records name bluegill, green sunfish, largemouth bass, common carp and shortnose gar. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. YMCA Camp Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 78°F for July and 29°F for January. Some winters cap it and some do not. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. YMCA Camp Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern. Water temperature lags behind air temperature by days, not hours.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Roachtown Lake is 1.9 miles distant. Treat access at YMCA Camp Lake as something to verify.