Central Illinois Fishing Report – April 3rd, 2015

Sangchris Lake: Bass are good on spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. Try casting along shorelines with emerging vegetation, if available. Catfish picking up on anything that smells: liver, shad, doughs. Crappies are good on minnows and on jigs fairly shallow along rocks near dam.

Lake Bloomington: Bluegills biting good on worms. Crappies were excellent on minnows around shallow brush. Bass are good on plastic worms. Catfish biting on liver and nightcrawlers.
Newton Lake: Fishing is still very good here with anglers catching bass, catfish and white bass. Bass are taking zoom worms or crankbaits. Catfish biting good on worms, large minnows or shrimp. Small spinners seem to work well with white bass. Crappies are being caught off the banks using minnows.

Clinton Lake: Bass are fair on crankbaits in coves in 5 feet of water. Catfish are fair on cut shad, crawlers and shrimp. Crappies are good on jigs and minnows. Walleyes are coming on jigs and minnows. White bass are fair on roadrunners, spinners and twisters. 

Evergreen Lake: Crappies have been good, with shore fishermen using minnows floated under a bobber about midway in water ranging from 8-10 feet. Crappies biting on minnows and jigs near structure and along formations. Saugeyes good on nightcrawlers. Bass have been slow, with a few caught on spinners and plastics.

Lake Springfield: A few large flathead catfish caught recently using stinkbaits. Bass good on deep-running spinners. Some caught on minnows by crappie anglers. White bass are biting on crazy blades in the warm water discharge on rooster tails. 

Lake Shelbyville: Some muskies caught in recent weeks, but most small to medium in size. Crappies are biting in deeper water on minnows. White bass fair, about ready to explode. Saugers good in deep areas and below the spillway.