BALDWIN LAKE RE-OPENS FOR FISHING

To catfish anglers Baldwin Lake offers some prime water.   A cooling lake for the power plant, the lake provides an active growing season all year.  Home to channel, blue and flathead catfish, it also contains a good population of bluegills and crappie upon which the larger fish feed.

Recently it was closed due to a valve being accidently left open and affluent being dumped into the lake.  However today word has been received all is OK and the lake is open again.

Located about an hour southeast of St. Louis in St. Clair and Randolph counties, Baldwin Lake is about 3-miles north of Baldwin, Ill.  Prime fishing location is near the levy at the hot water discharge.   Most of the south half of the lake closes in the fall as a waterfowl refuge.

The average depth of the lake is about 8 feet.  It is a perched cooling lake actually owned by the Illinois Power Company and leased to the IDNR for management of the fishery.  The lake is 2,018-acres in size with 15 miles of shoreline.

A perched lake is one that is higher than the surrounding countryside.  As such it is susceptible to windy conditions in winter and spring as weather fronts pass through the area.  Anglers need to get off the lake in such conditions, as the waves can become quite a problem.

The access to the lake for bank fishermen seems to be very limited and probably not really the best of fishing locations.  Bank fishing is limited to the west and north sides of the lake.  Most of the shoreline appears to be in control of the power company and off limits.  Boaters have more flexibility to choose locations around the lake.  Boat motor restriction is a maximum of 50-horsepower.

The warm water is home to an extensive shad forage base.  Both threadfin and gizzard shad are present.  Illinois lakes experience heavy die off of shad in the fall as temperatures fall below 47-degrees.  The burgeoning shad population in Baldwin Lake provides great forage for the predator fish of this lake.

The blue catfish are abundant with an average size of 8-pounds.  Channel catfish are extremely abundant with the average fish weighing a half pound.  The flatheads average 4.5-pounds.

Other fish located in the lake are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, hybrid bass and longear sunfish.