Fishing guide Jason Johns of Whittington says his best days of bass fishing on Pinkneyville City Lake in Perry County have seen him hook more than 100 largemouths, many of those in the 3- to 5-pound range. Photo courtesy of Jason Johns.

When south Illinois largemouth bass move out of the spawning period, the bass anglers who chase them tend to focus their fishing on the best-known lakes. But the southern portion of the Prairie State offers up plenty of fine, less-known largemouth waters where bass fishing in the post-spawn period holds its own.

PINKNEYVILLE CITY LAKE
In 2003, Pinkneyville City Lake suffered a die-off of bass in 2003, but the bass population has been improving steadily since then. Those in the know say the 190-acre lake is a real sleeper in bass fishing. A recent fisheries survey found 44 percent of the lake’s largemouth bass measured longer than 15 inches; 35 percent of the bass stretched more than 16 inches; and 15 percent of Pinkneyville’s largemouths measured more than 18 inches, the legal minimum-length size limit for anglers keeping bass at the lake.

Fishing guide Jason Johns of Todd Gessner Outdoors in Whittington describes the bass-fishing action as unbelievable at times. He has fished the lake for about five years and has seen numerous 6- and 7-pound fish caught. His best days fishing the lake’s deep water, shallows, weeds, laydowns and standing timber have resulted in hooking more than 100 fish, with many of those in the 3- to 5-pound range. He also finds late-spring bass busting shad on the surface when the wind blows. Shad can be found almost anywhere in the lake on any given day, he adds.

Pinkneyville City Lake is a former municipal water-supply reservoir, located on Illinois Route 149 just north of the city of Pinkneyville in Perry County. Its lone boat ramp is on the south end of the lake and features an excellent facility for disabled anglers next to it. A small sign on Route 149 marks the turn-off to the ramp. Boats are restricted to 10-horsepower motors, which helps maintain the water quality.

For more information about the fishery, contact the Division 21 office of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources through the agency’s Web site at www.dnr.state.il.us. Fishing guide service can be obtained from Jason Johns at Todd Gessner Outdoors, phone: (618) 927-3432 or online at www.ToddGessnerOutdoors. com. Lodging options include the Main Street Inn at 112 South Main Street (Route 127) in Pinkneyville, phone: (618) 357-2128.

KINKAID LAKE
Kinkaid Lake is best known for its muskie fishery, but rest assured: It’s one of south Illinois’ up-and-coming bass lakes and is expected only to improve! In 2008, the local Boy Scouts, the IDNR and the Kinkaid Water District combined efforts to build and place bass-rearing beds in the 2,750-acre lake that features boulder and timber cover along its shoreline.

IDNR fisheries official Shawn Hirst says the agency’s fish surveys in 2008 discovered the best bass sample on record for Kinkaid. Thirty-two percent of the largemouth bass collected measured more than 15 inches; 25 percent stretched longer than the lake’s 16-inch minimum-length limit for bass; and 13 percent measured longer than 18 inches. He adds that most of the bass sampled, caught during sanctioned fishing tournaments on the lake, were in the 3-pound range.

Local fishing guide Alan Nutty of Kinkaid Lake Guide Service in Murphysboro -- phone: (618) 694-4897 -- describes the water clarity this time of year as excellent for using shad-imitating crankbaits and light-color plastic worms. Although bass are found throughout the lake, the shallows hold the best numbers, especially in summertime when large recreational boats disturb fishing action in deep water.

Kinkaid Lake is located in Jackson County, five miles northwest of Murphysboro. It can be reached via Illinois Route 149, then Route 3 and finally Route 51. Marina service is available at two sites: Johnson Creek Recreation Area, phone: (618) 763-4233); and Kinkaid Marina, phone: (618) 687-4233. Bait and fishing reports can be obtained at the Top-Of-The-Hill Bait Shop in Murphysboro, phone: (618) 684-2923. For local accommodations, contact the Carbondale Convention & Tourism Bureau in Carbondale, phone: (800) 526-1500 or online at www.cctb.org.