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.

Fishing

Known for the high ranked fishing, Bayles Lake is one of the best ranked fishing locations in North America holding five state record fish.
The lake's most popular fish are the following species:
Species nameLake avg. weightLake avg. lengthLake record
Walleye4-8 pounds18-26 inches15.9 pounds- 32 inches: also was the Illinois fishing record
Largemouth bass3-5 pounds17-23 inches10.3 pounds- 27 inches
Smallmouth bass2-4 pounds15-20 inches5.1 pounds- 23 inches
Channel catfish10-20 pounds25-40 inches24 pounds- 34 inches
Striped bass8-15 pounds30-40 inches15.7 pounds- 37 inches
Black crappie0.5-1.5 pounds6-12 inches1.6 pounds- 14.4 inches
White crappie0.5-1.5 pounds6-12 inches4.7 pounds- 14.1 inches also was the Illinois fishing record
Bluegill0.5-1.0 pounds5-10 inches0.8 pounds- 11 inches
Carp9-19 pounds23-35 inches23.95 pounds- 34 inches: this record is not official
Flathead catfish10-35 pounds25-50 inches34 pounds- 54 inches
Blue catfish15-45 pounds25-55 inches37 pounds- 51 inches
Green sunfish0.2-1.5 pounds4-11 inches2.1 pounds- 12 inches also was the Illinois fishing Record
Brown bullhead1-2 pounds6-14 inches2.7 pounds- 16 inches also was the Illinois fishing record
Yellow bass0.1-0.7 pounds4-12 inches1.1 pounds- 13 inches
Rock bass0.1-1.1 pounds6-14 inches1.7 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

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 and in 2009 a website was created www.bayleslakehoa.com