Every time I hear someone at the top fishing spots in southern Illinois, they say, “Oh me me!”
I know some of the highest spots you can imagine. I caught everything from walleye to bass, catfish to crappie and bass in the lakes around my house.
So here are my top fishing spots in Southern Illinois!
Lake Rend
Split lake is not my favorite place, but you can definitely catch some good weight and catfish here. It is open all year round for fishing and during the summer for boating . Summer is a great place for families and there are many picnic spots.
Lake Harrisburg
This is a great place to fish. Here I usually have ground catfish and bluegills thrown in with the odd bass for a mod. I’ve tried for years to pick one huge pick that I see rolling in the early mornings or late evenings. I haven’t caught it yet, and I’m not sure how I’d pull it off if I did, but everyone who has a fish has a dream. It is mine.
It’s a great place for fishing, but there’s not much else to do there. This is fine for me, but for others, especially with s small children, it can be an issue. Most of the properties around the lake were privately owned.
West Frankfurt at the lake
Much like Lake Harrisburg, it’s a great place to fish, but there isn’t much here other than private homes and campsites. But it’s still worth the trip! Catfish, bass and bluegills are plentiful here and are quite good sized. Just spot it, drop it in line, and get ready to land your dinner!
Glen O Jones
One of my two favorite places to fish in Southern Illinois. First, let’s get the basics out of the way: a nice concession stand with clean bathrooms. There are places to camp and dock/boat all around the lake. There is also horseback riding and a playground. Don’t forget the hiking trail and the cave. There is a ton of stuff to do.
Well, now to the big thing: Fish! I have bass and blue, catfish and crappie. There is one big bass there, he has one of my best lures.
Dolan Lake
Also known as the Hamilton County Conservation Area, Dolan Lake is my absolute favorite place to fish in Southern Illinois! My boyfriend prefers the spillway point. However, I prefer to fish a little further at Catfish Corner! I have catfish, bluegill, crappie and bass there. It’s a fantastic place to fish. There are places to have a fire in each, so you can cook your draft. Now that’s fresh fish!
Across the river, from Catfish Corner, is a large restaurant and concession area. The baths are clean and you can even rent paddles to go out on the lake. The restaurant is open from late spring to mid-autumn. I fished it on the bank near the restaurant as soon as I got the bag! For it was great.
Dolan also has camping sites and hiking trails. Dolan Lake is in my opinion the best preserved recreation area in Southern Illinois.
Fishing is great in Southern Illinois. If he ever wears a yellow ball cap with a tree frog fish in it, it’s probably me!
