Fishing Report For Clinton Lake, IL

By Rick Seaman

May 17, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Clinton Lake Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Boat Launch Ramps
Marinas
Fishing License
Map
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Fishing Report Clinton Lake, IL

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Clinton Lake, IL

Largemouth Bass

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

This power-plant lake provides warmer than usual water in the winter, extending the growing season. Largemouth bass, in the 4 lb to 7 lb class are not uncommon, and the typical bass are fat and healthy. Water temperatures are in the low to mid 60's and have the bass focused on the spawn. They have moved into shallow coves and pockets in preparation, and some of the males are starting to create nests. The section of the lake from Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, up to Parnell, has been good for many locals recently. During the cold months of Winter, jerkbaits were catching good largemouth and smallmouth, along steep-dropping, rocky banks.. Stick worms, rigged wacky style, are catching wary bass, and often catching the larger ones.

Blue Catfish

Current Report: Very Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Clinton Lake is home to numerous fishing tournaments for blue catfish each year. These big cats have been stocked here for many years now, and anglers are catching big fish now. Fishing for blue catfish is often productive around any kind of structure, especially when water is flowing. Road beds, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin. Use live bait, shad or sunfish, or use cut bait with a slip sinker or Carolina rig setup.

Black Crappie - White Crappie

Current Report:Good To Very Good
Outlook: Good

Crappie fishing has been exceptionally good since the first week in April, and we are just coming to the end of the prime season for crappie. By the first week of June, crappie will have moved out of the shallows, into deeper water around 10' to 20' deep. Rocky causeways, brush, wood and deep vegetation are a good place to cast small crappie jigs or live minnows. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal. Serious crappie anglers are reporting good success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, then working the school to catch the bigger ones.

Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, blue catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, white bass and hybrid striped bass at Clinton Lake in Illinois.

Clinton Lake is a 4,900-acre lake with over 125 miles of shoreline, much of which is not accessible for fishing from the bank. Bass, hybrid stripers, crappie and blue catfish are featured on the menu here, plus there are white bass and walleye to pursue.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Marinas

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Fishing License

Click here for a Illinois Fishing License.

Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".