Kinkaid lake

[silverside]

I am contemplating making a (first ever) trip to Kinkaid Lake this year. Input of any kind about the lake would be appreciated.

[silverside]

Must be a really really good lake. Good enough to keep it a secret

[skunked again]

Sir, you’re not alone! More than once questions I’ve asked, like that, have gone unanswered.
Get on YouTube, there are a few older videos of crappie fishing there.
It’s a deep clear lake, beautiful scenery. If it’s been raining, a water fall behind an island of rock. You do not feel like you’re in Illinois when there!
Steep rock bluffs. During summer weekends, cliff diving, lots of pleasure boaters.
Being clear, it gets a lot of weed growth. Slow roll a jig over the weeds, along weed edges. Dip the weeds also.
If you have electronics, some brush piles offshore.
If you use the Paul ice ramp, that entire arm, a couple hundred acres, is a no wake zone. There used to be a lot of standing timber in some of it, by the water plant, unsure if it’s still there.
The north end can get muddy, after heavy rains. A ramp up there as well, never used it though. A lot of this arm is no wake as well.
There is also a ramp by the marina. This ramp and the Paul ice ramp, have ample parking, and docks.
There are, or used to be, musky there as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

[silverside]

Thank you so much skunked again. Thats a whole lotta info that I appreciate getting. Do you remember when you could look in an area newspaper or the internet and get weekly reports? Those days are sadly lost my friend

[Banjomarsh]

I hear ya Silverside. Crappie.com was a great source of info 10 or 15 years ago but people have moved on or just use their phones or just not as social.

[skunked again]

Silverside - you’re more than welcome to!!
Yes, I remember those days!

Banjomarsh- I agree. Not sure what’s going on.Looking on other states sub forums, on this site, they seem to be more interested.

[bdw]

It's been 5 or more years since I have fished the lake. The days of the lake kicking out huge hybrid crappie frequently are over according to the regulars. From what I have read the last several years the lake biologist began stocking blacknose crappie in the lake. This proved to be a horrible decision according to those that are local and fish it regularly. The blacknose are more aggressive and out compete the black and white crappie stunting all species of growth. Resulting in a large number of crappie at or below the length limit. Poor growth rates. I haven't fished there to experience this myself. It is one of the most beautiful lakes in the state with great bass fishing and muskie. The above information I have gleamed over the last couple of years via facebook posts. I believe their maybe even a page devoted to it. Showing data and the poor growth rates from several years of netting creel data that had to be FOIA'd by a concerned local. Sometimes adding a new species has a detrimental effect. The smallmouth bass stockings 15 years ago there never took off but didn't hurt the fishery unlike releasing the blacknose crappie. You may want to do some serious digging on facebook for this information. Either way i am sure there are plenty of crappie to be caught there. Just not the frequent 3lbers of the past. It doesn't look like as many guides work there anymore either from what little I have noticed.

[silverside]

bdw... just maybe, maybe, this is why Illinois crappie fishermen are willing to pay $$$ to travel south, or north even.

Thank you for this info

[bdw]

Found the original fb posts on Southern Illinois fishing. Find a post dated 4/22/24, in that post is a link for the one below.

Facebook

[Banjomarsh]

IDNR has been a total embarrassment for the last 30 years, it used to be much better 30-40years ago.