Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond is a reservoir in Illinois, near Will County.
Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond is a pond in Will County, Illinois. Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond covers about 2,241 acres and holds about 22,300 acre-feet.
Braidwood Lake is a cooling lake built over flooded strip-mine pits. Steep drops, rock piles, current, temperature changes, wood and man-made fish cover make it very different from a normal shallow reservoir.
Illinois reports largemouth bass, blue catfish, flathead catfish and wipers at Braidwood Lake. Shad are a major food source, while rooted weeds are limited by the lake’s steady green water.
Fish reported by Illinois at Braidwood Lake include largemouth bass, blue catfish, flathead catfish and wipers. The lake also contains common carp, freshwater drum and a strong shad food supply.
At Braidwood, fish crankbaits or soft plastics along steep drops and rock for largemouth, follow shad with spoons or swimbaits for wipers, and use fresh cut shad on a strong bottom rig for blue catfish.
On a first trip to Braidwood Power Plant Cooling, 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 on Braidwood Power Plant Cooling 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 on Braidwood Power Plant Cooling 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 Braidwood Power Plant Cooling, while a medium-heavy rod is better for bass jigs and heavier bottom rigs.
The flooded pits leave sudden depth changes and uneven bottom that can hold baitfish and predators close together.
Follow deep-water shad with a spoon, crankbait or swimbait and change lure depth before leaving a promising group of baitfish.
Blue catfish are stocked in Braidwood Lake and can be targeted with fresh cut shad along deep edges or moving water.
When a fish bites at Braidwood Power Plant Cooling, note the lure depth, bottom type, nearby cover and wind direction. Make the next cast to a similar spot at Braidwood Power Plant Cooling before changing several things at once.
If the second pass at Braidwood Power Plant Cooling is quiet, change lure speed first and depth second. At Braidwood Power Plant Cooling, that order makes it easier to tell whether the fish moved or only wanted a slower bait.
Do not try to see all of Braidwood Power Plant Cooling in one trip. At Braidwood Power Plant Cooling, pick a small section, compare shallow cover with the nearest deeper water, and stay long enough to learn which part actually holds fish.
Keep the tackle choice at Braidwood Power Plant Cooling tied to fish that are reported there. At Braidwood Power Plant Cooling, one moving lure, one bottom bait and one small panfish setup cover more useful water than a box full of random choices.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.