Baldwin Lake: Bass, bluegill and catfish are all poor. -- Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area
Carlyle Lake (Carlyle): Largemouth bass are very good on crankbaits fished along the rocks. Some being caught in the wood also. Catfish are still very active on cut bait, nightcrawlers and cheese baits. Trot lines are doing well with leeches. Crappie are good but no longer on shallow fish structures with minnows or tube jigs. White bass are good. Starting to get good reports of sauger and whites being taken while trolling with cranks. -- Henkel's Bait & Tackle Inc.
Carlyle Lake Spillway: White bass are good with inline spinners, curly tails or tube jigs. Seeing a lot of nice hybrids also. Catfish are good on shad, shad guts, Geno's cheese bait and nightcrawlers. A lot of nice flathead are being brought in. Crappie are good on tube jigs or minnows. Sauger bite is on the slow side now with the water level low. -- Henkel's Bait & Tackle Inc.
Coffeen Lake (Coffeen): Crappie are fair using minnows. Catfish are good with nightcrawlers. Largemouth bass are good. Bluegill are spotty. -- Indian Grove Campground.
Crab Orchard Lake (Carterville): Crappie are fair with minnows and jigs. Bluegill are good using crickets, waxworms and red worms. Largemouth bass are good. Catfish are good using leeches, cheese bait and cut bait. -- Cooksey's Bait Shop
Horseshoe Lake (Granite City): Fishing has slowed with the heat. A few catfish are being caught on nightcrawlers. Very few crappie are being caught, try a minnow. Bluegill are OK on waxworms. -- Ron's Bait Shop
Kinkaid Lake (Murphysboro): Largemouth bass are good around the spillway. Smallmouth bass, white bass, walleye and muskie are spotty. Bluegill are fair using waxworms, red wigglers and crickets in deeper water. Crappie are fair using minnows and some crickets. Channel catfish are good with nightcrawlers, cut shad and stinkbait. -- Top of the Hill Bait Shop.
Little Grassy Lake (Makanda): Bluegill are good on everything. Crappie are good using crickets. Largemouth bass and white bass are good. Catfish are good on worms. -- Little Grassy lake Campground.
Mississippi River (Grafton area): Crappie are fair to good. Fish have backed off into a little deeper water. Minnows are slowing some; put them just above deeper brush piles. Bluegill are good with nightcrawlers and crickets near weed lines. Bass are fair to good with poppers, jitterbugs, buzzbaits near brush in early morning. Channel catfish are good with nightcrawlers and shad-flavored Catfish Charlie's stink bait. Use shad in deeper water. -- Cassens Bait Shop at Grafton.
Murphysboro Lake -- Bluegill, crappie, channel catfish and largemouth bass are all spotty. -- Murphysboro State Park
Rend Lake (Ina) -- Water temperature is in the 90s. Crappie bite is fair. Catching lots of small fish. Fish are deeper in summer pattern. Brush piles, stake beds and under bridges are best places now. Bait of choice is a 1.5-2 inch red/chartuse jig. Catfish are good on shad gut, leaches, shrimp or nightcrawlers. Recent heat has slowed the bass bite, but it's still good. Five bass limits are ranging from 15 to 18 pounds with big bass holding in the 5-pound class. Bluegill are being caught along rocks and in the back of coves. Red wigglers and plain yard worms work well. -- Clint Taylor, Crappie Xtreme Guide Service.
Silver Lake (Highland): Tuesday night's tournament had nine boats with 8 1/2 pounds winning. Big Bass was 5 1/2 pounds. Six of nine boats had two-fish limits. Fish weed lines and deeper banks with slow baits and crankbaits. Crappie are poor. A 26-pound flathead was taken over the weekend and several other 10-pound fish. Cut bait seems to work best. The lake is a foot low, with water near 90 degrees. -- Colby Schrumpf.
Report compiled by the News-Democrat sports Department. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and several local bait shops contributed to this report.
