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MERMET STATE LAKE
Lake Information
County: Massac
Acreage: 452
Average Depth: 3.12 feet
Shoreline Length: 3.5 miles
Recreational Amenities
Boat Fishing? Unrestricted, no wake
Boat Ramps? Yes
Boat Rental? Yes
Skiing? No
Swimming? No
Picnicking? Yes
Camping? No
Maps are not intended for navigation.
There are no zebra mussels in this lake.
Fish Stocking | |||
Year |
Species |
Size |
Count |
2021 |
Channel Catfish |
Advanced Fingerling 4 - 7" |
10061 |
2022 |
Channel Catfish |
Advanced Fingerling 4 - 7" |
10000 |
2022 |
Largemouth Bass |
Advanced Fingerling 4 - 7" |
10054 |
Additional information for stocking on Mermet State Lake
Fishing Outlook ( Full PDF Report )
Click here for a list of all reports.
Species |
Rank |
Fish Status |
Very Good | Bluegill were substantially more abundant in 2022 than in the previous year at 473 per hour of electrofishing, 34% were larger than 6 inches (within desirable management goals), with 13 percent of the sampled population exceeding 7 inches. Bluegill body condition was still excellent. | |
Average | Channel catfish are generally not a large component of the annual Mermet Lake electrofishing sample, and 2022 followed this trend (11/hr). Annual channel catfish stockings help support a fishery which is very popular with the angling public. | |
Very Good | White crappie were sampled at a rate much better than previous years (47/hr) and quality and condition as evident by percentage of fish over 8 inches (PSD=60%), percentage of fish over 10 inches (RSD-10”=13%) and high body condition (relative weight=94) were much better. Black crappie prospects are similar, with fish sampled at a much higher rate (53/hr) with much better quality and condition indices. | |
Very Good | Largemouth bass were collected at a rate of 85 per hour in fall 2022, nearly double last year. 70% of these fish were larger than 12 inches, which easily met the management plan goal. Bass larger than the old 14 inch minimum size limit made up 52% of the sample, while 34% exceeded the newly implemented length limit of 16 inches (April 1, 2016). Bass condition remained excellent. | |
Excellent | : A decent number of Redear sunfish were sampled in 2021 (27/hr). The lake sustains a phenomenal Redear fishery but these fish can be difficult to sample at certain times of the year. Quality and condition of these fish were phenomenal, and 40% of the fish sampled were at least 10 inches long. | |
Location: Mermet Lake is a shallow, 452-acre, IDNR-owned impoundment located in Massac County approximately 10 miles north of Metropolis.
Description: Mermet was originally built as a water supply for flooding adjacent wetland compartments for waterfowl hunting, but sport fish flourished when stocked, and the lake has been managed for fishing for more than 50 years. Curlyleaf pondweed, an exotic aquatic plant, invaded Mermet in 1999, and has caused occasional summer fish kills since then, but annual herbicide treatments have generally been successful at controlling the impacts of this plant in recent years, allowing the sport fish population to slowly recover.
Additional Lake Information: The outboard motor limit is 10 hp, but boats with larger outboards are allowed to operate at no-wake speed. Mermet Lake is closed to fishing during the duck season.
Site Regulations:
Largemouth bass: 16” minimum length limit, 3 per day creel
Black and white crappie: 25 per day creel
Channel catfish: 6 per day creel
Contact Information: Mermet Site Office 618-524-5577IDNR Fisheries Biologist, Luke Nelson618-985-1112
There were 6 tournaments held on this waterbody in 2022.
| Species | Total Fish Caught |
| Largemouth Bass | 86 |
Top 5 Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2022 tournaments:
| 1 5.84 lbs | 2 5.65 lbs | 3 5.41 lbs | 4 5.25 lbs | 5 4.01 lbs |
Top 5 Total Tournament Weight of Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2022 tournaments:
| 1 | 138.06 lbs |
| 2 | 60.13 lbs |
| 3 | 31.76 lbs |
| 4 | 29.40 lbs |
| 5 | 15.02 lbs |
Multiple day tournaments are listed with * end date.
Interested in participating in one of these public tournaments? Contact us with tournament ID for more information.
| 2023 – 2024 Approved or Pending Tournaments | ||||||||
| Start Date | ID | Approval | Ramp Location | Bank/Boat Hook/Bow |
Max Boats | Species | Youth? | Open to Public? |
| April-07 | 25732 | Approved | Club Ramp | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| April-14 | 25871 | Approved | Club Ramp | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Spotted Bass | No | No |
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