Reservoir · Clinton, Illinois
Carlyle Lake
Carlyle Lake
Reservoir · Illinois
Information Only
StrikeTracks does not currently provide a live condition rating for this destination. Destination and fishery information is still available.
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Fishery Profile
Documented species you may encounter at Carlyle Lake.
Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations
Fishery overview
Carlyle Lake is Illinois's largest reservoir and a flagship channel catfish, white bass, and crappie fishery managed by USACE St. Louis District and IDNR. StrikeTracks publishes complete static Fishery with catalog-visible Unavailable conditions because no same-lake live USGS 00010 exists. Kaskaskia at Carlyle 05593000 is not this lake. This is not Lake Shelbyville and not Rend Lake.
Target species
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
IDNR describes Carlyle as among Illinois's finest channel catfish fisheries. Not Rend Lake.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
White Bass
Morone chrysops
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
Carlyle Lake white bass. 2025 IDNR survey catch rates were excellent.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
Carlyle Lake black crappie.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
Carlyle Lake largemouth bass.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
White Crappie
Pomoxis annularis
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
Carlyle Lake white crappie. Black crappie are also present.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
IDNR has stocked blue catfish at Carlyle since 2021.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Hybrid Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
Hybrid striped bass stocked at Carlyle since 2021.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
Shallow USACE flood-control pool on the Kaskaskia River in southwestern Illinois, about 50 miles east of St. Louis. Distinct from Lake Shelbyville on the same river upstream and from Rend Lake on the Big Muddy.
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
USACE Carlyle Lake and iFishIllinois document eleven public ramps and South Shore State Park access. Catalog coordinates are the mid-lake point, not USGS 05593000.
Stocking information
IDNR stocks sauger, largemouth bass, redear, hybrid striped bass, and blue catfish when available. Confirm current official iFishIllinois stocking records.
- Stocked
Blue Catfish
Stocked · Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
- Stocked
Hybrid Striped Bass
Stocked · Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Official sources
Illinois inland and Carlyle site-specific regulations apply, including bass and crappie length/creel rules. Do not treat Shelbyville or Rend rules as this destination. Confirm current IDNR regulations.
conditionPublicationPolicy=static-value-structural-unavailable. Carlyle Lake is Illinois's largest man-made lake (about 24,580 acres) with eleven public ramps, USACE St. Louis District recreation, and an IDNR-managed channel catfish, white bass, and crappie fishery serving southwestern Illinois and the St. Louis market. inlandHasCompleteStaticFisheryValue passes on official iFishIllinois fishery, access, and inland regulations. USGS 05593000 Kaskaskia River at Carlyle is the downstream river, not Carlyle pool 00010; using it would be a tailwater-to-lake remap. HIGH plus PATH B does not auto-approve; public catalog-visible Unavailable is approved because this is the destination-specific flagship Illinois reservoir whose honest Unavailable plus complete static Fishery is useful independently of Shelbyville, Rend, or Clinton. This justification is Carlyle-specific and does not copy Shelbyville or Rend prose.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
Clinton, Illinois
The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.
Lake Details
County
Clinton
Management Category
USACE / Illinois DNR flood-control reservoir
Regulation Scope
Carlyle Lake
Regulation Summary
Carlyle Lake: Illinois inland fishing regulations at the USACE Carlyle project. Confirm current official regulations.
Target Species
Channel Catfish, White Bass, White Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Blue Catfish
Public Access
Public
Boat Launch
Available
Shore Fishing
Available
Description
Carlyle Lake, Clinton / Bond / Fayette counties, Illinois. Largest man-made lake in Illinois (about 24,580 acres). Catalog-visible Unavailable: no same-lake live USGS water temperature (00010). Kaskaskia River at Carlyle 05593000 is the river below the dam, not pool thermal. Not Lake Shelbyville and not Rend Lake.
