Top fish species at Cottonwood Lake

Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
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Cottonwood Lake fishing reports

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Largemouth bass

20 in · 4 lb

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Largemouth bass

length · weight

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recently logged catches
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Largemouth bass

14 in · 3 lb 4 oz

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General info

Cottonwood Lake is a lake located in Perry County, Illinois, United States. It is most popular for fishing Largemouth bass.

Location

38°01′55.4″N 89°23′52″W
Directions

When are Largemouth Bass biting on Cottonwood Lake?

Learn what time of year and day to go fishing at Cottonwood Lake. Download Fishbrain today to look for new fishing spots, scout new fishing access, or prep for your next trip.

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Fishing regulations at Cottonwood Lake, IL

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in Illinois can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Largemouth bass as of April 24th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Largemouth bass

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

6

Aggregate

6

There is no statewide size limit. Daily harvest limit is 6 Bass, either singly or in the aggregate, except as specified under Site-Specific Regulations. Only statewide regulations are shown herein, but you can access Site-Specific Regulations online.

Micropterus nigricans

Regulations for

38°01′55.4″N 89°23′52″W
Regulations in the map
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Local laws and licenses

Illinois fishing license

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Cities nearby

Pinckneyville

3.9 miles away

St. Johns

8.6 miles away

Du Quoin

9.2 miles away

Vergennes

9.6 miles away

Dowell

10.7 miles away

Ava

11.3 miles away

Tamaroa

11.7 miles away

Percy

12.1 miles away

Elkville

12.2 miles away

Steeleville

14.5 miles away

Coulterville

15.4 miles away

Du Bois

16.5 miles away

Harrison

16.5 miles away

Oakdale

17.1 miles away

De Soto

17.6 miles away

Royalton

18.8 miles away

Sparta

19.3 miles away

Sesser

19.3 miles away

Hurst

19.4 miles away

Zeigler

20.7 miles away

Buckner

21.1 miles away

Nashville

22.3 miles away

Waltonville

23.2 miles away

Ashley

23.4 miles away

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FAQ about Cottonwood Lake fishing

Cottonwood Lake is a lake located in Perry County, Illinois, United States. Its coordinates are:
38°01′55.4″N 89°23′52″W
.
Find the best fishing spots on Cottonwood Lake by looking at where other anglers have caught fish. This can easily be done in the where it is also possible to see big fish potential and how good fishing is right now along with Garmin® depth maps.
The most common species in Cottonwood Lake are:
The latest Cottonwood Lake fishing reports are:
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