Citizen's Lake
Location 26 acres
Fishing Outlook
Bluegill
Good
Very good numbers of fish in the 6–8-inch size group available. All size classes are in excellent health with very good fall relative weights indicating no issues for food and space resources. The fall drawdowns with the increasing bass populations are helping to shape a quality sunfish fishery. The annual fall drawdowns will be continued in the future.
Largemouth Bass
Good
The bass population is showing more fish in fall surveys over 15 inches than previous years. Surveys indicate a strong year class every other year. Fall surveys indicate no food and space resource issues with fish having excellent relative weights.
Crappie spp.
Good
The Crappie population consists of Black Crappie and Hybrid (F1 Blacknose male x White crappie female).
Redear Sunfish
Good
The Redear Sunfish and redear x bluegill hybrid population currently consist of a low-density population with excellent relative weights. The current population is made of good numbers of larger individuals in the 9–10-inch range.
Channel Catfish
Good
An average of 1,200 Channel Catfish are stocked each fall into Citizens Lake through the IDNR. In addition, the local Fire/Police Department completes a stocking each spring for their fishing derby.
| 2025 | Channel Catfish | Advanced Fingerling (4 - 7") | 1200 |
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | Adult | 324 |
| 2024 | Black Crappie x White Crappie | Fingerling (1 - 3") | 500 |
| 2023 | Channel Catfish | NonVulnerable (8 - 10") | 1200 |
Contact
309-734-2141
Description
This small watershed impoundment of 26 acres is owned by the City of Monmouth and managed for fishing by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The lake has a south basin of 17.7 acres with a maximum depth of 33 feet and a north basin of 8.3 acres with maximum depth of 13 feet. The two basins are connected by a short channel that is spanned by a historic 1895 bridge. In 2016, the bridge was dedicated to Ken Russell the longtime IDNR district fisheries biologist who helped relocate the bridge to Citizen’s Lake. Most of the 1.4 miles of shoreline is accessible to bank fishing. Boat ramps are available on both basins and a small trailer campground is situated near the north lake basin.Fishery History
The lake and its sport fishery are evaluated annually by a fall electrofishing survey. This survey directs the fish stockings, fishing regulations and aquatic vegetation treatments. Since 1994, the water level at Citizen's Lake has been drawn down 5.5 feet in early September as a major fish management practice. The annual fall drawdown increases the predation of small fish, which favors an increased rate of growth in both the predator and prey species. A repeating fish kill occurred from September 2018 into the spring of 2019 at Citizen's Lake. It was believed to have started as a low dissolved oxygen fish kill and then developed into a bacterial fish kill. The fish kill was severe on the south half of the lake and moderate on the north half of the lake. The kill appeared to remove all of the Gizzard Shad and Black Crappie populations and only left young-of-year Largemouth Bass, Bluegill and Green Sunfish. In 2019, the lake was restocked with Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Redear Sunfish, Blacknose Hybrid Crappie and Rainbow Trout.Site Regulations
Site-Specific Fishing Regulations:
- All Fish: 2 pole and line fishing only and each pole must not have more than 2 hooks or lures attached while fishing
- Bluegill or Redear Sunfish: 10 Fish Daily Harvest Limit
- Channel Catfish: 6 Fish Daily Harvest Limit
- Large or Smallmouth Bass: Protected Slot Length Limit with no possession of fish greater than or equal to 12 inches and less than 15 inches; 6 Fish Daily Harvest Limit with no more than 1 fish greater than or equal to 15 inches and 5 fish less than 12 inches
- Trout: Fall Closed Season; 5 Fish Daily Harvest Limit