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CRAB ORCHARD LAKE
Lake Information
County: Williamson
Acreage: 6965
Shoreline Length: 125 miles
Recreational Amenities
Boat Fishing? Unrestricted
Boat Ramps? Yes
Boat Rental? Yes
Skiing? Yes
Swimming? Yes
Picnicking? Yes
Camping? Yes
Click on area names for a more detailed map.
Pump House Neck,
Refuge Headquarters,
Boat Club,
West End Boat Ramp
Maps are not intended for navigation.
There are no zebra mussels in this lake.
Fish Stocking | |||
Year |
Species |
Size |
Count |
2018 |
Largemouth Bass |
Advanced Fingerling 4 - 7" |
24125 |
2018 |
Threadfin Shad |
Fingerling 1 - 3" |
6000 |
2019 |
Largemouth Bass |
Advanced Fingerling 4 - 7" |
500 |
Additional information for stocking on CRAB ORCHARD LAKE
Fishing Outlook ( Full PDF Report )
Click here for a list of all reports.
Species |
Rank |
Fish Status |
Average | The abundance of Crab Orchard Lake bluegill decreased for the fourth year in a row in 2019, and the proportion of fish over 6 inches in length decreased from 49 to 40%. Abundance however still exceeded the management goal for the fifteenth year in a row. The proportion of bluegill larger than seven inches stayed the same at 12. Bluegill body condition remained excellent, indicating another good forecast for bluegill anglers. | |
Excellent | Crab Orchard Lake channel catfish quality and body condition, similar to previous years, was excellent, and 73% of the fish collected were larger than 22 inches in length. | |
Excellent | The percentage of white and black crappie larger than 8 inches remained high in 2019 at 93% for both species. The percentage of white crappie larger than ten inches in length was good at 39%, while 15% of black crappie in the sample achieved that size. Body condition of both white and black crappie was good, but near the lower end of the management plan goal range. Crappie smaller than 10 inches in length tend to be overabundant in Crab Orchard Lake, and anglers are encouraged to remove these fish to thin the population and improve the quality of the fishery. | |
Good | The bass fishing forecast for Crab Orchard Lake is good to very good. In 2019, the percentage of bass larger than 16 inches continued to increase (33%). Of these, 18% were also larger than 18 inches slightly higher than the previous year. Largemouth bass abundance in the 2019 sample increased compared to the previous year (69/hr), and the general management plan goal of 60 per hour was easily met. Body condition of largemouth bass in Crab Orchard Lake has remained excellent. | |
Very Good | Numbers of Crab Orchard Lake white bass collected during the fall 2019 survey, although relatively small at 15 fish per hour of electrofishing, represented the second highest in thirteen years, and the proportion over 10 inches (76%) was impressive. Fish in the sample ranged in size from 5 to 15 inches, and 19% were larger than 12 inches. White bass body condition was just below the management plan goal. | |
Location: Crab Orchard Lake is a 6965-acre impoundment located in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge between Marion and Carbondale in Williamson County Illinois.
Description: The Crab Orchard Lake fishery is cooperatively managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A user permit is required to access the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Information can be obtained by calling the refuge visitor center at 618-997-3344.
Additional Lake Information: A user permit is required to access the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Information can be obtained by calling the refuge visitor center at 618-997-3344.
Largemouth bass have a 16-inch minimum length limit and a 3-per-day creel limit. No other size or creel limits are in effect.
Contact Information: Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge: 618-997-3344IDNR Fisheries Biologist, Luke Nelson618-985-1112
There were 15 tournaments held on this waterbody in 2020.
| Species | Total Fish Caught |
| Crappie | 59 |
| Largemouth Bass | 298 |
Top 5 Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2020 tournaments:
| 1 6.88 lbs | 2 6.56 lbs | 3 6.50 lbs | 4 5.95 lbs | 5 5.52 lbs |
Top 5 Bag Weights of Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2020 tournaments:
| 1 | 126.19 lbs |
| 2 | 117.57 lbs |
| 3 | 108.69 lbs |
| 4 | 76.69 lbs |
| 5 | 71.88 lbs |
Multiple day tournaments are listed with * end date.
Interested in participating in one of these public tournaments? Contact us with tournament ID for more information.
| 2021 Approved or Pending Tournaments | ||||||||
| Start Date | ID | Approval | Ramp Location | Bank/Boat Hook/Bow |
Max Boats | Species | Youth? | Open to Public? |
| March-28 | 17695 | Approved | Greenbriar Ramp | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| April-10 | 18141 | Pending | Greenbriar Ramp | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| May-16 | 17661 | Approved | West End Ramp | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-12 | 17585 | Approved | Greenbriar Ramp | boathook | 40 | Crappie | No | Yes |
| June-19 | 18230 | Pending | Greenbriar Ramp | boathook | 10 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-26 | 17777 | Approved | West End Ramp | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-26 | 18142 | Pending | Greenbriar Ramp | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-27 | 16956 | Approved | West End Ramp | boathook | 19 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| July-10 | 18134 | Pending | Greenbriar Ramp | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| August-15 | 17637 | Approved | Greenbriar Ramp | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| October-10 | 17308 | Approved | West End Ramp | boathook | 15 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
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