Baldwin Lake is a reservoir in Illinois, near Randolph County.
Stocking records show that the following fish or strains were stocked here. A historical stocking does not by itself prove that a self-sustaining population remains today.
Baldwin Lake is a reservoir in Randolph County, Illinois. Baldwin Lake covers about 2,018 acres.
Baldwin Lake is a 2,018-acre cooling lake with rock along most of its shoreline. The fishing has been rebuilding since a major 2011 fish kill, with stocking aimed at bass, crappie, redear and wipers.
Baldwin is especially known for blue and flathead catfish. Black crappie, largemouth, redear sunfish and wipers add lighter-tackle choices around rock and deep-water baitfish.
Fish reported from Baldwin Lake include black crappie, blue catfish, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, and wiper. Stocking records for Baldwin Lake also list black crappie, largemouth bass, and wiper, though that does not mean those fish will be easy to catch on every trip.
For bass at Baldwin, fish weeds, wood and shade with a spinnerbait, jig or Texas-rigged worm for largemouth.
For panfish at Baldwin, use a small jig or minnow beside brush for crappie, and fish a worm, cricket or tiny jig near weeds for bluegill, redear or other sunfish.
For roaming fish at Baldwin, use a shad-colored swimbait, spoon or trolling lure around open-water baitfish for wipers.
For bottom fishing at Baldwin, use fresh cut shad on a strong bottom rig for blue catfish, and put cut bait, a nightcrawler or prepared bait on bottom for channel catfish, and use live bait near wood or a deep hole for flathead catfish.
Pick one part of Baldwin Lake and fish it slowly. At Baldwin Lake, start with a moving lure on a point or cover edge, then use a jig, worm or minnow around the exact depth that produces a bite.
On a first trip to Baldwin, check incoming water, one bend in the old channel and a point near deep water with a moving lure, then slow down with a jig or worm where you get a bite.
Spring around Baldwin is a good time to check warm coves and incoming water, and summer is a good time to fish shade, weeds and the first drop into deeper water. Fall around Baldwin can bring fish back to windy points and banks, while winter calls for smaller baits fished slowly.
A medium spinning rod with 8- to 10-pound line handles most jigs, worms and small lures at Baldwin, while a medium-heavy rod is better for bass jigs and heavier bottom rigs.
At Baldwin Lake, choose one point, weed edge, patch of wood or old-channel bend near deeper water and test a few lure depths before making a long move.
No reliable maximum was found for Baldwin Lake, so let lure contact and visible cover show where the useful drop begins.
Wiper fits the reported information for Baldwin Lake, so begin with a lure and spot that suit that fish rather than guessing.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.