Article Options

Fishing Report 7-25

Friday, July 25, 2008 11:31 AM CDT

Crab Orchard - Fishing action has been spotty. Crappie are still holding over cover in about 10 feet of water. Anglers are fishing the rip rap near the spillway and Wolf Creek Road and around bridge pillars. Minnows and jigs are equally effective. Catfish action is good throughout the lake. Cut bait, leeches, shrimp and stink baits are all producing good catches. Bluegill are still holding near the banks and can be caught on wax worms, meal worms, crickets and red wigglers. Bass anglers are still reporting success on topwater baits fished early in the mornings and late in the evenings.

Horseshoe Lake - Catfish remain the best bet. Anglers are catching fish throughout the lake, drift-fishing night crawlers off the bottom. Bluegill, crappie and bass are slow.

Kaskaskia River/Baldwin Lake - Bass, catfish and bluegill are all rated good at Baldwin Lake. Catfish are being caught throughout the lake on cut bait. Bass action is best on the south end of the lake, particularly on crank baits. Bluegill are being caught in good numbers at the south end of the lake on wax worms.

Kinkaid Lake - Bass anglers are reporting fair to good success. Fish are still being caught around shallow cover on plastic worms and spinner baits. Catfish are rated good on night crawlers and some stink baits. Crappie anglers are taking fair numbers of nice fish at 15 to 18 feet. Fish are scattered, but some good fish have been caught. Minnows and jigs have been equally effective. Bluegill are still good. Fish have backed off the beds, but can be caught in 6 to 8 feet. Wax worms, meal worms and crickets have all been effective. Walleye action has been slow.

Lake Murphysboro - Some nice bass have been caught in the past week, throwing plastic worms and spinner baits around the weed beds. Catfish are steady on night crawlers. The best action has been around the dam and the bank east of the dam. Bluegill are being caught in good numbers on red wigglers and wax worms. Most fish are in the 6- to 7-inch range. Crappie action is very slow.

Little Grassy - Bluegill anglers are finding fish just beyond on the beds in 5 to 8 feet of water. Crickets are the primary bait. Catfish action remains steady throughout the lake on night crawlers. Bass action remains steady on plastic worms fished near the weed beds. Crappie action has been slow.

Mermet Lake - Catfish anglers are reporting fair success, particularly in the evenings. Most anglers are tightlining cut baits or stink baits from the rip rap. Some panfish are being caught around the rip rap, but most action is fairly slow.

Ohio River-Smithland Pool - The river is slightly below pool and clear. The creeks are also clear. Catfish are probably the best bet. Anglers are taking good numbers of catfish in the river and the creeks. Night crawlers, stink baits and cut shad are the primary baits. Some anglers are taking good numbers of bass in Lusk Creek. Crank baits are currently producing good catches.

Rend Lake - The water temperature has risen to 83 degrees and the lake is still nearly 18 inches above normal pool. Fishing is pretty much good across the board. Only largemouth earn a fair rating. Some largemouth are being caught near Jackie Branch, Gun Creek and the Route 154 rip rap. Bass anglers are reporting success on black buzz baits and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows, chartreuse, white and pink and green jigs. Crappie are being caught in 8 to 10 feet of water over Christmas tree sets, near bridge pillars and near the sailboat harbor wall. White bass are being caught in good numbers in shallow main lake areas on slab spoons, Little Georges and curly tails. Some stripers are being caught in the spillway. Catfish are still rated good on liver, night crawlers, shiners, stink baits, leeches and shrimp. The best catfish action has been near the subimpoundment dams, the Route 154 and main dam rip rap. Some anglers are also reporting success drift-fishing the Gun Creek area. Bluegill are good in shallow coves on wax worms, meal worms, crickets and red wigglers.

- Compiled by Les Winkeler