Kinkaid Lake is a reservoir in Illinois, near Jackson 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.
Kinkaid Lake is a reservoir in Jackson County, Illinois. Kinkaid Lake covers about 2,750 acres, reaches a recorded 80 feet and holds about 78,500 acre-feet.
Kinkaid Lake has 82 miles of shoreline and an 80-foot deep end. The Johnson Creek area can stay muddy after heavy rain, while the lake’s muskie and unusually large crappie give anglers two very different plans.
The fish reported from Kinkaid Lake include muskellunge, walleye, largemouth bass, and black crappie, giving anglers more than one useful way to fish this water.
Fish reported from Kinkaid Lake include bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, redear sunfish, walleye, and white crappie. Stocking records for Kinkaid Lake also list black crappie and muskellunge and walleye, though that does not mean those fish will be easy to catch on every trip.
For bass at Kinkaid, fish weeds, wood and shade with a spinnerbait, jig or Texas-rigged worm for largemouth.
For panfish at Kinkaid, 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 Kinkaid, jig a minnow or troll a crankbait along points and deeper edges for walleye.
For large predators at Kinkaid, throw a bucktail, jerkbait or large rubber lure along points and weed edges for muskellunge.
For bottom fishing at Kinkaid, 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.
At Kinkaid, throw bucktails, jerkbaits or large rubber lures around points and timber for muskellunge. Fish a jig or minnow beside cover for crappie, and move away from muddy Johnson Creek water after a hard rain.
On a first trip to Kinkaid, 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 Kinkaid is a good time to check warm coves and incoming water, and summer fishing is usually better in cooler, deeper water. Fall around Kinkaid can bring fish back to windy points and banks, while winter calls for smaller baits fished slowly.
A medium spinning rod covers smaller lures at Kinkaid, while a heavier rod and stronger leader are better for pike or muskellunge.
At Kinkaid 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 Kinkaid Lake is only a guide. Fish at Kinkaid Lake still need comfortable water, cover or nearby food.
Muskellunge fits the reported information for Kinkaid 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.