Thread: The Best Crappie Lake in Illinois

It is definetly NOT Lake of Egypt.

every weekend the wife and i would go 4 hours in any directions crappie fishing. we would end up at mark twain mo.BEST CRAPPIE FISHING I EVER SAW.I am a new memger hello to ever one.

Bob - Welcome to the board. I graduated from Pekin High in 1954. I have lived in Mattoon since 1964. I am retired and try to fish Lake Shelbyville several times a week. We have a lot of friends in Pekin and try to make it up there about once every three to four months.

Bob...good to see another central Illinois fella here. I live fairly close to you and my wife and I do the same thing you do...and we love Mark Twain too..beautiful lake!

Hey Bob and Kenny I lived in Elmwood for a few years and now live a little north but I fish Twain alot....Grew up very close to MTL..It is by far my favorite lake.
where do you guys go for your crappie fishing close by? Banner Marsh? Canton? Victoria? I haven't had much luck up this way finding any place close to MTL except when I go down to lake shelbyville. But that is as far for me as MTL...

hey mr willis have you xtarted catching them off raccoon lake yet? Im hearing stories that they are starting to come in. Old man Kerns caught a couple a day or two ago right off his dock that were nice. Im gonna get out there today. I got some new jigs i tied up that should be great for raccoon. Anyhow i know what you mean about fishing with your dad. It surely is a joy.

As for my vote rend is surely hard to beat. Carlyle is starting to become more over known as the crappie lake in the southeast central area. If i had to pick a lake up north it would be coffeen A) because ive caught some monster crappie out there B) it will make you excited to be jigging along and a smallmouth come along and bomb your cork.

Rend lake has my vote, can always pull a few specks from there no matter what !

Originally Posted by ohail6

Hey Bob and Kenny I lived in Elmwood for a few years and now live a little north but I fish Twain alot....Grew up very close to MTL..It is by far my favorite lake.
where do you guys go for your crappie fishing close by? Banner Marsh? Canton? Victoria? I haven't had much luck up this way finding any place close to MTL except when I go down to lake shelbyville. But that is as far for me as MTL...

Ohail6, we fish both Banner and Victoria but prefer MTL, Clinton and Shelbyville...even if they are much farther away. Fortunately we are at a stage in our lives where the price of gas isn't a problem so we like to travel to different places to try. We like to stay at South Fork resort or Cannon Dam when we hit MT..sure is a pretty lake isn't it?