Fishing is by far one of my biggest hobbies. Being the Captain of our school’s fishing team has helped me fall in love with the sport and the beauty of the outdoors even more. From fishing countless tournaments all throughout the region, I’ve gained a lot of knowledge on our local waters. I figured out which lakes always produce fish, and which are challenging all the time. Here are my top five favorites: 

Lake of Egypt– Lake of Egypt is privately owned by a power plant company and is in Williamson County. Where they use the water to help cool the turbines. With the constant flow of warm water dumping into the lake it makes it a hot spot for fishing. This lake covers roughly 2,300 acres and has an average depth of 18 feet. Almost any spot of this lake you are bound to catch something. With every pocket being filled with lay downs, brush, logs, and grass, it provides plenty of areas for fish to be. If fishing cover isn’t working do not worry there is plenty of rip-rapped banks to hit. Or if you wish to fish out deep this lake has lots of drop offs, some reaching all the way down to 52 feet. Personally, this is my absolute favorite lake to fish. Mainly because I never fail to catch a limit in tournaments and the variety of areas to fish just sets this lake apart from the rest. 

Cedar Lake– Located in Carbondale, Illinois this 1,750-acre body of water is home to many giant bass. Although there is a 10mph speed limit that doesn’t stop tons of fishermen to flock to this lake. This lake is relatively deep with depths reaching 60 feet. According to ILDNR, Cedar Lake is one of the most populated lakes in Illinois with Largemouth Bass. I personally love this lake because of the thick grass mats that bloom, making punching and frog fishing lots of fun. This lake also provides tons of lay downs and cover for the giant fish that are often associated with Cedar Lake.

Kinkaid Lake– This lake is situated 5 miles north of Murphysboro and covers about 2,750 acres. Kinkaid is mainly known for its beautiful bluffs and cliffs. Kinkaid provides a variety of locations for great fishing. It has plenty of drop offs and its deepest location reaches 80 feet. When I fish here, I often target drop offs and ledges as bass like to use these features as ambush points for other bait fish. I also focus on stumps, logs, and other brush. A very well-known location on this lake is the Paul Ice branch. With long stretches of banks and plenty of cover, it makes for a quality fishing location. 

Rend Lake– Rend Lake is located in Franklin County. This is one of the larger lakes in Illinois at 18,900 acres. The average depth is around 15 feet, making plenty of spots versatile for all sorts of bait and fishing techniques. I put this lower on the list because the population of bass is below average than other bodies of water in southern Illinois. That does not take away from how fun this lake is. Being so large you have almost endless spots to try out and there is plenty of fallen trees and other cover everywhere you go. The only downside to this lake is when it is stormy or windy the water gets super choppy and the wind creates dangerous waves. It is easily one of the more dangerous lakes in Illinois. But if you are careful there is no doubt you will have a blast at Rend Lake. 

Crab Orchard– I have a love-hate relationship with this lake. That is the reason for it sitting in the last spot. It is located in Williamson County and is approximately 6,900 acres. Since this lake is owned by National Wildlife Refuge you are required to purchase a permit to fish on the lake. Personally, this lake isn’t worth it to keep a permit. I dislike how shallow this lake is everywhere you go. This makes it hard to figure out fish patterns. But when it is a good day on Crab you can catch fish from sunrise to sunset. Even though it is not my favorite lake, it should not be passed up.