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Illinois

Carlyle Lake

Carlyle Lake is an Illinois lake in Clinton County; its largemouth bass shift with the season between shallow cover and deeper water.

Surface
22,795acres
Primary species
Largemouth
§ 01Today on the water · Carlyle Lakevia Open-Meteo · 09:30 local
Air temp
65.3°F
Barometric
30.09″
→steady 24h(+0.05)
Wind
6mph
from SSE
Moon
Waning Crescent
day 26.4 · 10% lit

Air conditions sampled near the lake center, not measured on the water · refreshed ~15 min

§ 03Next 3 daysvia Open-Meteo · interpretation
  1. 8
    sepTue

    Stable window

    hi 91° · lo 63°

    Anytime through the day. Quiet weather day; lean on seasonal pattern and structure.

    ── light se wind · settled

  2. 9
    sepWed

    Watch the wind

    hi 94° · lo 75°

    Lean into wind-fed shorelines, all day. Wind drives bait position today; pick the shoreline taking it.

    ── direction shift overnight

  3. 10
    sepThu

    Tougher window

    hi 77° · lo 71°

    Pick the calmest hour and stay flexible. Conditions push hard today; bite likely shrinks. Plan around the calmest gap.

    ── heavy precipitation · bite likely shrinks

§ 04Field notesIllinois

Where it is

Found in Clinton County, Illinois, Carlyle Lake totals about 22,795 acres. Largemouth read the season, sliding shallow or deep as it dictates.

Seasonal pattern

Spring. Early warming sends largemouth into the shallows to stage and spawn, the calmest sun-fed water leading the move.

Summer. Warm water moves largemouth onto deeper structure and shade; the early and late hours are the better windows.

Fall. Cooler water brings forage and bass shallow again; fish range widely as they feed up.

Winter. Cold pushes largemouth deep and lethargic; slow down and fish a quiet, deliberate line.

Key structure

  • Hard-bottom and rock transitions
  • Channel edges and the breaks beside them
  • Shoreline cover near quick depth changes
  • Transitions from soft to hard bottom

Let the season pick the water before any one spot does.

Forage

Largemouth follow the bait on Carlyle Lake; the schools decide where the fish set up.

Access

Access points are public around Carlyle Lake; check current ramp conditions locally, since seasonal water levels change them.

Regulations

Check current state and local regulations before fishing; limits and seasons can change.

§ 05Sources & field guides

Field guides

Data & references

  • Today's conditions — Open-Meteo, refreshed every ~15 min
  • Moon phase — local astronomical calculation, no external API
  • Lake area, depth, structure — Identity, surface area, coordinates and county/state are from the ProjectD canonical waterbody index (snapshot conus-20260518-v1, group gnis:00403297, a 2-polygon group collapsed to its largest representative). Maximum depth and regulation links were not available from an acceptable source and are intentionally omitted.
  • Regulations — verify current state and local regulations before fishing

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