Lake Mattoon fishing: Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, White Sucker

Target species: Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, White Sucker, Sunshine Bass

The lake

Lake Mattoon covers 912 acres in Illinois, across 3 counties: Shelby, Cumberland and Coles. It is a lake: 95.1% of it is 22 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 24 feet (7.3 m). Our records hold 7 species for this water.

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 24 ft (7.3 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 95.1% of the water is 22 feet or shallower. We hold 79 depth contour lines for this water.

Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP 2019
USDA Farm Service Agency, NAIP 2019 aerial imagery (USGS The National Map) · Public domain
  • 0–2 ft: 3.7% of the water
  • 2–4 ft: 10.7% of the water
  • 4–6 ft: 12.6% of the water
  • 6–8 ft: 11.8% of the water
  • 8–10 ft: 11.5% of the water
  • 10–12 ft: 11% of the water
  • 12–14 ft: 6.6% of the water
  • 14–16 ft: 6.8% of the water
  • 16–18 ft: 6.3% of the water
  • 18–20 ft: 7.5% of the water
  • 20–22 ft: 6.6% of the water
  • 22–24 ft: 4.9% of the water

4 target fish, led by Largemouth Bass

  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
  • White Sucker — Feeding water: 50–70°F.
  • Sunshine Bass — Feeding water: 70–80°F. Nonnative.

Also recorded here: White Bass, Common Carp, Gizzard Shad.

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 72°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.5. These readings span 2022. The latest reading is from 2022, more than three years ago: read these numbers as history, not as the water today.

Where this data comes from

  • Illinois Department of Natural Resources — Illinois Department of Natural Resources: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom, 2016.
  • EPA NLA — EPA National Lakes Assessment: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map, 2007.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.