Fishing near Mattoon, Illinois

Set in Coles County, Mattoon is an Illinois town. The road out is short whichever way you go. On the doorstep and beyond: Lake Windermere within 4.8 miles to the east, Brush Creek within 8.9 miles, Lake Matton within 12 miles to the south-west plus Ridge Lake within 13 miles. The slack behind every obstruction on Brush Creek is worth a cast. Ice comes and goes from one winter to the next. Nothing here is dependable in winter. Dammed water accounts for the bulk of it. Overhanging trees hold fish through the middle of the day. The nearest of them, Lake Windermere, covers about 7 acres. On climate averages, local water clears around early March. County records name longear sunfish, bluegill, johnny darter, brindled madtom and orangethroat darter among the fish present. Not every one of these has a public launch. If Lake Windermere is busy, everything else on this list is quieter....