Reservoir · DeWitt, Illinois
Clinton Lake
Clinton 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 Clinton 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
Clinton Lake is central Illinois's nuclear-plant cooling reservoir and an IDNR-managed largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, walleye, and crappie fishery. StrikeTracks publishes complete static Fishery with catalog-visible Unavailable conditions because no same-lake live USGS 00010 exists. Salt Creek 05578500 is not this lake. This is not Lake Springfield and not Carlyle Lake.
Target species
Hybrid Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
Clinton Lake hybrid striped bass (wiper) stocked since 1978. Not Carlyle Lake.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
Clinton Lake largemouth bass. IDNR 16-inch / 3-fish site rule. Not Lake Springfield.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
Clinton Lake black crappie.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Walleye
Sander vitreus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
Clinton Lake walleye maintained by annual IDNR stocking.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
White Crappie
Pomoxis annularis
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
Clinton Lake white crappie.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
Clinton Lake blue catfish stocking since 2014.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
4,895-acre cooling reservoir on Salt Creek of the Sangamon in DeWitt County, with a warm-water discharge and no-wake / security zones. Distinct from Lake Springfield's municipal water-supply lake and from USACE Carlyle.
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Fly fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
IDNR Clinton Lake State Recreation Area documents public ramps, Mascoutin access, and wheelchair-accessible docks. Catalog coordinates are the SRA / mid-lake point, not USGS 05578500.
Stocking information
IDNR stocks walleye, hybrid striped bass, blue catfish, and crappie. Confirm current official iFishIllinois stocking records.
- Stocked
Hybrid Striped Bass
Stocked · Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
- Stocked
Walleye
Stocked · Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
- Stocked
Blue Catfish
Stocked · Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries
Official sources
Illinois inland and Clinton site-specific regulations apply, including 16-inch / 3-fish bass and seasonal closures between DeWitt and Route 48 bridges. Do not treat Springfield or Carlyle rules as this destination. Confirm current IDNR regulations.
conditionPublicationPolicy=static-value-structural-unavailable. Clinton Lake is the 4,895-acre IDNR cooling reservoir for Clinton Nuclear Power Station, with public SRA ramps and an independently documented largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, walleye, and crappie fishery in DeWitt County. inlandHasCompleteStaticFisheryValue passes. USGS 05578500 Salt Creek near Rowell is a nearby stream with stale 00010, not Clinton pool thermal; using it would be a nearby-river-to-lake remap. HIGH plus PATH B does not auto-approve; public Unavailable is approved because Clinton is a destination-specific central-Illinois cooling-lake fishery whose honest Unavailable plus complete static Fishery is useful independently of Lake Springfield, Carlyle, or Heidecke. This justification is Clinton-specific and does not copy Carlyle or Springfield prose.
Hatch Match
General fly suggestions
- Popper-style surface flyGeneral warmwater surface family. Not an insect Hatch event.
- Woolly-bugger-style streamerGeneral warmwater streamer family. Not a baitfish Hatch event.
- Crayfish-style flyGeneral subsurface family. Crayfish forage is not a Hatch insect.
These are general fishing suggestions, not a report of insects currently hatching at this destination.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
DeWitt, 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
DeWitt
Management Category
IDNR cooling reservoir
Regulation Scope
Clinton Lake
Regulation Summary
Clinton Lake: Illinois inland fishing regulations at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area. Confirm current official regulations.
Target Species
Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, White Crappie, Walleye, Blue Catfish
Public Access
Public
Boat Launch
Available
Shore Fishing
Available
Description
Clinton Lake, DeWitt County, Illinois. About 4,895-acre nuclear-plant cooling reservoir. Catalog-visible Unavailable: no same-lake live USGS water temperature (00010). Salt Creek near Rowell 05578500 is the nearby stream, not pool thermal. Not Lake Springfield and not Carlyle Lake.
