North Lake - Selma, Illinois: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Monroe County end of Illinois holds North Lake - Selma. The surface lies 446 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 13 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Crystal City lies 2.4 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is St. Louis, 31 miles away. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on North Lake - Selma

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Open biodiversity records for Monroe County list bluegill, green sunfish, gizzard shad and orangethroat darter. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On North Lake - Selma a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 30°F in January and 78°F in July. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. That is the shape of the year on North Lake - Selma.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. River Cement Company Lake sits 1.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at North Lake - Selma as something to verify.