Thanks to the close proximity of Illinois’ largest man made lake, fishing is one of the favorite past times in Boulder. Below you will find all the information that you need to enjoy fishing in the area and maybe catch the fish of a lifetime.
The lake that I am talking about is Carlyle Lake and it is well known as the fishing destination of choice in the area.
Carlyle Lake Fishing
Carlyle Lake is a 25,000 acre lake that was created by damming the Kaskaskia River and is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers. It is bisected by railroad tracks creating a north section and a south section.
The upper section, which is roughly one third of the lake is primarily shallow water ( less than 8 feet) and has some really good fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel cats and bullhead.
The lower section is much deeper and fairly open except for some areas of timber that were left standing when the lake was created, which can provide some great cover for the bass and crappie in the area.
In addition to the upper and lower sections of the lake, there is the spillways directly below the Carlyle Dam that provide some of the best fishing in the area.
If you are having trouble catching fish, stop into the local bait shop, Henkel’s Hook and Arrow and ask them about what’s biting and where.
There is plenty of shore access for fishing in the area, and there are also plenty of boat ramps if you would like to venture out in a watercraft.
Fish You Can Catch In Carlyle Lake
Here is a list of the fish that you can catch in Carlyle Lake:
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Channel Catfish
Crappie
Bullhead
Other Areas To Fish Near Boulder
There are many other places to fish in and around boulder.
Kaskaskia River
The Kaskakia river has some great fishing for channel catfish as well as many of the same species that you can find in Carlyle Lake plus a few more including largemouth Bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, blue catfish, crappie, flathead catfish, sauger, walleye and white bass.
One of the best ways to catch catfish is to use stinky baits or even baits that are doctored up with fish attractant, like those available from the experts over at Nelson Creek Outdoors.
Local Ponds
Some of my favorite places to fish in and around Boulder are the local farm ponds and golf course ponds. A couple words of caution here:
- Make sure that you ask permission to fish in these ponds. Some farmers and golf courses are very picky about who they let fish their waters.
- Once you have permission to fish one of these ponds, do everything that you can to keep that permission. Be respectful. Do not litter and be sure to say thank you.
These can be some of the best fishing holes that you will ever find and they are always worth the extra work to gain access to them.
Conclusion
You now have some great ideas for fishing in and around Boulder. Go out and put this new found information to the test and you may just catch the fish of a lifetime. Remember to pay it forward in order to insure that our love of fishing is passed down through the generations. Take a kid fishing.