Prairie Lake
State Park and Muskie Status Report Info
The following is an excerpt from the IL State Parks website:
Located in Cass County 25 miles northwest of Springfield off State Illinois Route 125, 10 miles northeast of Virginia, 10 miles west of Petersburg and New Salem State Historic Site, and 10 miles northwest of Ashland.
Sport fishing opportunities are available at JEPC at Gridley Lake, 25 acres, opened 1999, the recently named "Prairie Lake", 210 acres, opened 2002, and seven small ponds.Remaining farm ponds are in the process of renovation.Stream fishes include largemouth bass, bluegill and green sunfish, along with shiners, chubs and minnows. In addition to the stated fish species, Prairie Lake is also stocked with Muskie.
One more lake, Drake Lake, 35 acres should open to the public in the fall of 2003.
Currently trolling motors and canoe access are allowed at Gridley Lake. Prairie lake has a 10 h.p. limit. Sail boats are allowed.
The following is an excerpt from the IL DNR's
"STATUS OF MUSKIE FISHERY IN ILLINOIS 2004"
PRAIRIE LAKE (Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area) - Dam construction on this 210 acre lake was completed in April of 1999 and it finally finished filling in April of 2003. The lake is 45 feet deep at the deepest point. Initial stockings included the standard largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish and channel catfish which was followed by a stocking of pure muskies. It received 210, 10"-12" fingerling muskies in October of 1999. This is a relatively small lake for muskies and will have a sunfish forage base so growth rates may be a little slower than for those lakes with gizzard shad. On the other hand, the lake is deep, steep sided, clear and has excellent woody cover and aquatic vegetation. We believe muskies will do very well. The Fall 2001 electrofishing survey produced 5 muskies in the boat. Four other fish were hit by the electric field, exploded out of the water and were gone before we knew what had happened. Those five fish ranged in size from 26.2" to 32.3". The largest weighed 7.3 pounds. In the Fall survey of 2002 only seven muskies were collected and six of them were fingerling fish from a recent stocking. The largest fish we collected was 33" long and 8.7 pounds. Two hundred, 10"- fingerlings were stocked in 2002. . We are currently in a biennial stocking regime and will continue that unless a change is warranted. For that reason, no fingerlings were stocked in 2003. It will received fingerlings again this year. The largest muskie collected in the Fall 2003 survey was 37" long and weighed 12.1 pounds. Not bad for a four year old fish without shad as a food source. Reports of 40+" fish have reached the district biologist and the green cards turned in so far, report the same. So the muskies appear to be doing extremely well at this little lake. There is a 10hp limit. Two concrete ramps and campgrounds are found on site and there are rental cabins on the lake as well. For more information on Prairie Lake contact the site office 217/452-7741 or the district biologist’s office at 217/632-3841.
Coming Soon !!!