SANGCHRIS LAKE
Once known as the best lake to land a 20-pound striper, Sangchris Lake has had some woe in the recent past, but DNR biologist Dan Stephenson said this 3,022-acre cooling impoundment is still one of the best fisheries around.

"In the spring of 2006, we collected fish from three strong year-classes," Stephenson said. "One group ranged from 3 to 6 pounds, an older group ranged from 10 to 12 pounds, and a third peaked at about 13 to 16 pounds. We didn't sample any fish over 20 pounds, but it wouldn't surprise me if a few start to show up this year."

As with any cooling lake, early-spring fishing tends to be best in areas within the cooling loop. On Sangchris, this constitutes the center arm of the lake. The main point of this center arm adjacent from the dam has been nicknamed "Striper Point" by local anglers, and it can be productive during the cold weather. Large roaches or shiners fished on split-shot rigs in 20 to 30 feet of water account for numbers of fish. Bucktail jigs, spoons and shad-pattern crankbaits are also effective.

During the warm months, focus shifts from the cooling loop to the east and west arms of the lake. Windswept main-lake points concentrate fish, but also keep watch in the open water for stripers to boil schools of shad on the surface. When this occurs, a favorite weapon of local anglers is a red and white bucktail jig ripped through the boil or a large surface walker twitched through the feeding frenzy. Trolling will also put a few fish in the boat.

Sangchris is just a short drive from Springfield. For more information on the lake, call (217) 498-9208. For area lodging information, call the Springfield Visitors Bureau at (217) 789-2362.

LAKE CHARLESTON
DNR biologist Mike Mounce said his surveys usually don't turn up mass numbers of hybrid stripers on this 330-acre municipal water-supply reservoir, but some big fish are swimming here.

Lake Charleston pumps in water from the nearby Embarrass River, and this influx of water is vital to the overall health of Charleston stripers. According to the 2006 status report, anglers routinely report catches of hybrids ranging from 2 to 12 pounds, and stripers up to 15 pounds are recorded annually. The overall prospects here are rated as being good to excellent.

As for location, the pump station in the southeast corner draws in stripers, primarily when water is being brought in. The riprapped face of the levee tends to concentrate fish as well.

Shad-imitating crankbaits catch fish here, and silver, shad and fire-tiger are top colors. Mounce said chicken livers and crawfish tails also catch fish, and live shiners or roaches are good options.