Bayles Lake (Illinois)

Bayles Lake is a freshwater reservoir located in west Loda, Illinois in Iroquois County, 13.6 miles from Onarga and separated by a road from Lake Iroquois, Illinois.

Bayles Lake
Location of Bayles Lake in Illinois, USA.
Location of Bayles Lake in Illinois, USA.
Bayles Lake
Location of Bayles Lake in Illinois, USA.
Location of Bayles Lake in Illinois, USA.
Bayles Lake
LocationIroquois County, near Loda, Illinois
Coordinates40°31′45″N 88°05′36″W / 40.5291°N 88.0932°W / 40.5291; -88.0932
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsnone: spring fed
Primary outflowsnone: spring fed
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length9.93 mi (15.98 km)
Max. width0.7 mi (1.1 km)
Surface area237 acres (96 ha)
Average depth8–16 ft (2.4–4.9 m)
Max. depth22 ft (6.7 m)
Shore length19.94 mi (16.00 km)
Surface elevation748 ft (228 m)
Islandsnone
SettlementsLoda, Illinois
Websitebayleslakehoa.com
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Fishing

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Known for the high ranked fishing, Bayles Lake is one of the best ranked fishing locations in North America holding five state record fish (walleye, green sunfish, brown bullhead, white crappie, and hybrid sunfish). The lake's most popular fish are the following species:

Species name Lake avg. weight Lake avg. length Lake record
Walleye 4-8 pounds 18-26 inches 15.9 pounds- 32 inches: also was the Illinois fishing record
Largemouth bass 3-5 pounds 17-23 inches 10.3 pounds- 27 inches
Smallmouth bass 2-4 pounds 15-20 inches 5.1 pounds- 23 inches
Channel catfish 10-20 pounds 25-40 inches 24 pounds- 34 inches
Striped bass 8-15 pounds 30-40 inches 15.7 pounds- 37 inches
Black crappie 0.5-1.5 pounds 6-12 inches 1.6 pounds- 14.4 inches
White crappie 0.5-1.5 pounds 6-12 inches 4.7 pounds- 14.1 inches also was the Illinois fishing record
Bluegill 0.5-1.0 pounds 5-10 inches 0.8 pounds- 11 inches
Carp 9-19 pounds 23-35 inches 23.95 pounds- 34 inches: this record is not official
Flathead catfish 10-35 pounds 25-50 inches 34 pounds- 54 inches
Blue catfish 15-45 pounds 25-55 inches 37 pounds- 51 inches
Green sunfish 0.2-1.5 pounds 4-11 inches 2.1 pounds- 12 inches also was the Illinois fishing Record
Brown bullhead 1-2 pounds 6-14 inches 2.7 pounds- 16 inches also was the Illinois fishing record
Yellow bass 0.1-0.7 pounds 4-12 inches 1.1 pounds- 13 inches
Rock bass 0.1-1.1 pounds 6-14 inches 1.7 pounds- 15 inches

Bayles Lake is annually stocked with fish species other than the ones listed above. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including channel catfish, blue catfish, sunfish, largemouth bass, walleye, smallmouth bass, white catfish, striped bass, flathead catfish, crappie, bluegill, yellow bass, white bass, rock bass, panfish, and white perch here. Fishing came to be one of the top attractions at Bayles Lake due to the high density of fish. Though the lake does not contain sea weed, fish happen to thrive in the waters and grow to tremendous sizes. Fisherman find it convenient not to deal with as many snags and weeds getting caught on their lures.

History

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Bayles Lake is a man-made reservoir constructed in the late 1940s fed by a natural spring. On November 17, 1952, at a special meeting, the board of directors of the corporation known as the Bayles Lake, Inc., made and executed the Bayles Lake Covenants. In 1969, Bayles Lake Inc. assigned all the rights reserved to it over to the Bayles Lake Lot Owners Association, a not-for-profit corporation. This assignment, including the rights under the Covenants, was filed in the Iroquois County recorder's office in Watseka, Illinois. The association, therefore, owns all the lakes, roads, parks, all lands not specifically dedicated, and the water and sewer systems. In 2008 the Bayles Lake Lot Owners Association became the Bayles Lake Homeowners Association (BLHOA) and in 2009 a website was created www.bayleslakehoa.com

References

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