Crab Orchard Lake is a reservoir in Illinois, near Williamson 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.
Crab Orchard Lake is a reservoir in Williamson County, Illinois. Crab Orchard Lake covers about 6,965 acres, reaches a recorded 34 feet and holds about 57,800 acre-feet.
Crab Orchard Lake is managed by Illinois and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Recent water work has included snag-free fish shelters, downed trees, water-willow plantings and bass spawning structures.
The fish reported from Crab Orchard Lake include largemouth bass, black crappie, white crappie, and channel catfish, giving anglers more than one useful way to fish this water.
Fish reported from Crab Orchard Lake include black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, largemouth bass, white bass, and white crappie. Stocking records for Crab Orchard Lake also list largemouth bass, though that does not mean those fish will be easy to catch on every trip.
For bass at Crab Orchard, fish weeds, wood and shade with a spinnerbait, jig or Texas-rigged worm for largemouth.
For panfish at Crab Orchard, 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 Crab Orchard, follow shad with a spoon, jig or small crankbait for white bass.
For bottom fishing at Crab Orchard, put cut bait, a nightcrawler or prepared bait on bottom for channel catfish.
At Crab Orchard, use the added tree cover and fish shelters as starting places for crappie and largemouth. Follow shad with small spoons for white bass, and fish cut bait near deeper wood for channel catfish.
On a first trip to Crab Orchard, 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 Crab Orchard 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 Crab Orchard 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 Crab Orchard, while a medium-heavy rod is better for bass jigs and heavier bottom rigs.
At Crab Orchard 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.
The deepest number for Crab Orchard Lake is only a guide. Fish at Crab Orchard Lake still need comfortable water, cover or nearby food.
Largemouth bass fits the reported information for Crab Orchard 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.