Local expert Steve Powers has known for a long time about the phenomenal striper fishing on Cedar Lake.

"We caught a lot of stripers (last year)," Powers said. "My best was 25 pounds. There was also a big crop of 5- to 6-pounders. A couple of times we got into them and it was nonstop for an hour and a half."

Powers said stripers can be taken year 'round on Cedar, but the heat of the summer triggers the best angling. Early in the spring, target your efforts to the points in the upper half of the lake. Powers said his favorite bait is a deep-diving crankbait in silver, chartreuse or blue. Jigging spoons and bucktail jigs are likewise effective. In the summer, Powers targets stripers on clay flats throughout the lake and near the spillway.

"In the summer, the best fishing occurs at night, often on a full moon," Powers said. "We watch for fish pushing shad on the surface. June to August are prime months. Surface walkers and crankbaits tend to be most productive."

Later in the fall, fishing again focuses on points, breaklines and mid-lake humps. Spoons, jigs and live bait tend to work best then.

Cedar Lake is six miles southwest of Carbondale. Public boat launches are available. For more information, call (618) 549-8441. For lodging info, call the Carbondale Area Chamber of Commerce at (618) 549-2146.

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Although these aren't the only waters on which to catch a striper in Illinois, they're among the best. Each location offers a great shot at either boating a lunker or wearing out your arms by catching numbers of fish. Find out for yourself this year.