The best results for taking saugeyes occur on the dropoffs just outside the shallow spawning beds of crappies and bluegills. Like any predator fish, saugeyes are opportunistic feeders and are never far from game fish fry or baitfish. The mouths of Evergreen’s many coves are excellent places to fish in the early morning and toward evening. These are the best saugeye haunts, as well, after dark by lantern light.

You’ll find two boat ramps at Evergreen, where a 10-horsepower motor limit is enforced. There are no bait shops on or near the lake, but boat rentals are available. Saugeye fishermen are restricted to a six-fish creel limit, with a 14-inch minimum- length restriction. This is a great lake for a family camping or picnic outing. Much of the lake is accessible for bank-fishing.

PITTSFIELD CITY LAKE
At only 240 acres big, this city-owned lake supports walleyes very well. Pittsfield City Lake is located just off Route 107 north of Pittsfield in Pike County.

Since 1985, Pittsfield has received annual, supplemental stockings of 2-inch walleye fingerlings. The stockings produce strong multiple-year classes resulting in a well-structured population. Steep dropoffs, with maximum depths up to 34 feet, lie offshore and along the steep west bank, providing ideal sites for walleye fishing.

Pittsfield receives very light fishing pressure for walleyes. The primary method of success by local anglers is jigging a worm- or minnow-tipped jig along dropoffs easily located with a depthfinder. Early morning and late afternoon hours are best. The creel limit is six fish, with a minimum- length limit of 14 inches.

Pittsfield boaters are restricted to a 25-horsepower motor limit with a “no-wake” operating restriction. Motors larger than 25 horsepower must be tipped up and out of the water with the prop removed. Boat ramps are located on the east and north ends of the lake, but no boat rentals or bait concessions are lakeside. Bank-fishing is restricted to public areas owned by the city.

CLINTON LAKE
Just east of Clinton off Route 54 in DeWitt County, 5,000-acre Clinton Lake is one of my favorite walleye spots. It was built in the late ‘70s by Illinois Power Company to supply cooling water for its onsite nuclear power plant. The IDNR’s 2007 catch-rate survey for walleyes at the lake revealed Clinton anglers produced the sixth highest catch rates of the past 14 surveys. Certainly, the lake is holding its own. About 40 percent of these walleyes were longer than the minimum length limit of 14 inches. This lake’s walleye creel limit is six fish.

Purchase a detailed topographic map of the lake at the Clinton Marina found on the south end of the lake. Use it to locate any gravel or sand bar in the lake’s open-water terrain where, according to former IPC fisheries biologist Ron Willmore, walleye fishing is best. He also leads walleye anglers to the area of the rocky riprap at the dam. The edge of the buoy line on the north end of the lake (where boats can not pass) is also excellent, and, he adds, bank-anglers can find the area below the dam in the spillway to be a super spot for walleyes.

The best bait for motor trolling or wind drifting is a simple leadhead jig tipped with a minnow or night crawler. The bigger fish at Clinton seem to be caught most often with mid- to deep-running orange or chartreuse artificial baits.

Clinton Lake boaters are not restricted to motor ratings, and they can find boat ramps at many sites around the lake. Picnic areas and camping are available. Boat and motor rentals, and bait, are offered at the marina. Small boats should stay out of the main body of the lake when winds are forecast for 15 miles per hour and higher.