Centralia Lake is a Good Lake to Catch Some Nice Sized Bass by Wyatt Eller

 Looking for a place to fish? Centralia Lake might just be the place. The lake is very scenic, and you can drive your boat as fast as you want. 

Image Via Texas Park and Wildlife 

When you're looking for a place to fish, you can’t go wrong with Centralia Lake. The bass are very aggressive; as soon as your lure hits the water, they strike. The bass in Centralia can be very big, but also very small. Centralia Lake is also home to many other fish. The catfish is a big bottom feeder; they feed off of smell because of their very poor eyesight. So, catching catfish is a very patient type of fishing. Crappie are a type of panfish; a panfish is a fish that usually doesn’t outgrow the size of a frying pan. They can be exciting to catch at one point and boring at another because of how finicky they are. 

Image Via Merriam Webster

These fish can be caught in many different seasons. The summer is great for bass because they are super active and bite on almost anything; bass love the hot weather. The spring is also good for bass. This is a colder season than summer, but the fish still love to bite. As soon as winter is over, bass wake up and spawn, spawning is when fish lay their eggs, and the eggs are fertilized. The fall is an ok season to fish, but the spring and summer are much better. The fall and spring temperatures are the same, but what makes them so different is the bass spawn in the spring. When the bass spawn, they are very aggressive and protective over their eggs, so they bite very well. 

Image Via Vibo Docks and Lifts

Centralia Lake has many different places to fish. The levee is a road that goes over the lake, but it isn’t a very good spot because so many people fish there. The spillway is a big concrete dam that keeps water in the lake and allows the water to drain when it rains. The spillway has very little cover for the fish, so you rarely catch fish there. Then there are the coves, the coves are loaded with fish because there is a ton of brush. Brush is debris such as tree limbs, sticks, rocks, or even homemade fish homes that fish can use as cover. There are two places my friend calls the walls. They are big concrete walls that go into the water to prevent erosion. One is located next to the boat ramp, and the other one is located to the left of the ramp, down the lake some ways. The wall next to the ramp is overfished, but the one down the lake is a gold mine of fish. The last good place to fish are the docks that are spread about the lake. You can fish them as long as you don’t damage the dock, otherwise you may be yelled at by the owner. 

Image Via Callen Harty

With these places to fish, you must understand the debris you can fish. In coves, you may find trees, stumps, logs, moss, and algae, which can get you snagged, but can also help you catch major fish. Predator fish use debris to ambush their prey, so if you throw a lure that looks like a dying fish, the predator fish will attack. Throw a jig under a tree, and you will surely catch a fish, but throw it too high and you will get snagged. When you're snagged, it means you have got your lure caught in something. Stumps and logs may be unseeable, so they can snag you easily. Fish like to use them to their advantage so they are perfect to fish around. Moss and algae are good to fish top water, but you may pull in lots of moss while you're fishing with it.

Image Via Lake Sam Rayburn

You now know where to fish, and how to fish certain debris, now you must know what to use. A jig is good for open water, docks, coves, and the walls. Jigs are small to medium sized, and come in many different sizes. Frogs are good for moss, lily pads, algae, stumps, logs, and under trees. They mimic a frog swimming, and when fishing in these areas fish have the opportunity to ambush your frog. A spinner bait is a shiny, spoon type lure that you throw out and reel in. They are great for the walls, docks, and open water. You can use many different lures for many different situations. Walmart, Buchheits, and Rural King are local places that you can buy all the fishing tackle you need. 

This article barely scratches the surface of what Centralia Lake has to offer. Centralia Lake is home to many different types of fish, and wildlife. You can find Centralia Lake in Centralia, Illinois. It is the perfect spot to take your family fishing, or go fish competitively. It is worth it to visit Centralia Lake; it’s absolutely beautiful with all the outdoor scenery.