McLeansboro City Lake

Crappie spp.

Fair

Black and white crappie are present in McLeansboro City Reservoir and fishing as reported from anglers has been fair. Anglers should target crappie around structure using minnows and jigs.

Bluegill

Fair

Bluegill size structure remains constant as most catchable fish are between 6 and 6.5 inches. Good numbers of Bluegill and other sunfish exist, but the average size is less than desirable.

Largemouth Bass

Good

Many fish between 1.5 to 2 pounds are present with larger bass sampled and reportedly being caught by anglers.

Channel Catfish

Good

During fall of 2025, a targeted catfish survey was completed using baited hoop nets, which yielded a sample of 113 Channel Catfish. Fish in the sample ranged in length from 8.8 to 22.0 inches, the largest weighing in at 3.8 lbs. In general, the population appears to be dominated by small, slow-growing fish, as 82% of catfish in the sample were less than 18 inches. Length-at-age data derived from pectoral spines demonstrated relatively slow growth, as catfish generally did not reach 20 inches until age-5.5. Mean body condition (relative weight) was also suboptimal at 87 and is unsurprising given slow growth rates. In summary, the combination of slow growth and suboptimal body condition among smaller catfish suggests that the stocking rate is too high. Thus, stockings will be reduced from 3000 to 2000 fish annually to improve growth potential among stocked catfish.