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Welcome to Tight Lines Guide Service.  We are a year-round crappie fishing guide service on Lake Shelbyville and Clinton Lake.  We will provide everything you need to enjoy a day of crappie fishing. All you need to bring is a valid Illinois fishing license, appropriate clothing for the weather we are expecting that day i.e. rain gear, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and whatever food you would like for the day.  We will provide a cooler with ice and water for the day.

Lake Shelbyville is located across both Shelby and Moultrie counties in central Illinois.  It is an 11,000 acre Army Corps of Engineers flood control reservoir.  Clinton Lake is located in DeWitt county approximately 10 miles east of Clinton IL.  Clinton is a power plant lake and is used as a cooling water source for Clinton Power Station which makes the water warmer and can be an oasis in the middle of winter when all the other lakes are frozen solid.  Both lakes offer excellent crappie populations.

“My fishing memories are many. But treasured most of all are those fishing trips when all appeared hopeless, and then crappie came to the rescue.” – Dan Gapen

Fishing Report

March 10, 2025

Lake Shelbyville Crappie Fishing Guide

Finally, open water and warm weather! It’s been a cold winter and I am ready to be on the lake with sunny skies and warm breezes. I’ve been out on the lakes for about a week now scouting out areas and getting the lay of the land on what these fish are doing.

Lake Shelbyville’s water level is currently at winter pool and sits at 594.27. If you’re not familiar with the lake it is a flood control reservoir and can be dangerous at any water level and especially at winter pool. There are a lot of shallow flats and points that run way out into the lake that are not marked with hazard buoys and are easily ran up on if you’re not careful. As for the fishing, it’s been good. We are targeting depths anywhere from 5-20 feet targeting structure like stumps, laydowns, and brushpiles. I have been pulling up to structure and scanning it with the Livescope to see if anyone is home and if there is, we fish, if not it’s on the next spot. There’s no sense in getting the lines wet if there isn’t any fish. As for baits, we have been using 1/8 or 3/16 jig heads with a black/chartreuse or minnow colored plastic attached. I have found the farther away from the fish I can stay the more they hang around, the water is still pretty cold and clear and they are a little spooky if you get too close. We have been playing around with the fall rate of the jig to trigger bites, some fish want it faster and we use the 3/16 and some want it slower so we use a 1/8 jig head but usually it’s the 1/8 that is getting most of our bites.

I still have a little bit of availability left this spring if you want to get out and catch some fish give me a call, text, or email to get your next fishing trip booked!

Dan Lange

Tight Lines Guide Service

(217)475-1499

[email protected]

Rates

Rates:

These rates are for a private charter for up to two people, add an additional $100 for a third person.
All children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

$375 for 6 hours

$300 for 4 hours

phone: 217.475.1499

email: [email protected]

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