Bayles Lake is a freshwater reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 located in west Loda, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

 in Iroquois County, 13.6 miles from Onarga and separated by a road from Lake Iroquois, Illinois

Lake Iroquois, Illinois

Lake Iroquois is a freshwater reservoir located in west Loda, Illinois in Iroquois County, 13.6 miles from Onarga. Lake Iroquois is 20–50 ft from Bayles Lake , the two lakes are separated by a road on the north side of Bayles Lake .- Fishing :Lake Iroquois is annually stocked with many fish...

.

Fishing

Known for the high ranked fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

, Bayles Lake is one the best ranked fishing locations in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 holding five State Record fish (Walleye

Walleye

Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...

, Green Sunfish

Green sunfish

The green sunfish is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. A panfish popular with anglers, the green sunfish is also kept as an aquarium fish by hobbyists. They are usually caught by accident, while fishing for other game fish...

, Brown Bullhead

Brown bullhead

The brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus, is a fish of the Ictaluridae family that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead and yellow bullhead...

, White Crappie, and Hybrid Sunfish

Sunfish

-Saltwater fishes:*Molidae, family of Ocean Sunfishes*Opah, family Lampridae; two species-Freshwater fishes:* Pygmy sunfish, six members of the genus Elassoma* Centrarchidae, a perciform family of about 27 species...

).
The lake's most popular fish are the following species:

Species Name	Lake Avg. Weight	Lake Avg. Length	Lake Record
Walleye Walleye Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...	4-8 Pounds	18-26 inches	15.9 Pounds- 32 inches: also was the Illinois Fishing Records Illinois Fishing Records This is a list of all the fish species in Illinois and the largest in mass caught to this date.-References:http://www.landbigfish.com/staterecords/records.cfm?state=Illinois...
Largemouth Bass Largemouth bass The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...	3-5 Pounds	17-23 inches	10.3 Pounds- 29 inches
Smallmouth Bass Smallmouth bass The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...	2-4 Pounds	15-20 inches	5.1 Pounds- 23 inches
Channel Catfish Channel catfish Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...	10-20 Pounds	25-40 inches	24 Pounds- 34 inches
Striped Bass Striped bass The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...	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 Illinois Fishing Records Illinois Fishing Records This is a list of all the fish species in Illinois and the largest in mass caught to this date.-References:http://www.landbigfish.com/staterecords/records.cfm?state=Illinois...
Bluegill Bluegill The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...	0.5-1.0 Pounds	5-10 inches	0.8 Pounds- 11 inches
Carp Carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...	9-19 Pounds	23-35 inches	23.95 Pounds- 34 inches: this record is not official
Flathead Catfish Flathead catfish The flathead catfish , also called the yellow cat, opelousas, and shovelhead cat, are large North American freshwater catfish. This is the only species of the genus Pylodictis...	10-35 Pounds	25-50 inches	34 Pounds- 54 inches
Blue catfish Blue catfish The blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, is one of the largest species of North American catfish. Blue catfish are distributed primarily in the Mississippi River drainage including the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Arkansas rivers...	15-45 Pounds	25-55 inches	37 Pounds- 51 inches
Green Sunfish Green sunfish The green sunfish is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. A panfish popular with anglers, the green sunfish is also kept as an aquarium fish by hobbyists. They are usually caught by accident, while fishing for other game fish...	0.2-1.5 Pounds	4-11 inches	2.1 Pounds- 12 inches also was the Illinois Fishing Records Illinois Fishing Records This is a list of all the fish species in Illinois and the largest in mass caught to this date.-References:http://www.landbigfish.com/staterecords/records.cfm?state=Illinois...
Brown Bullhead Brown bullhead The brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus, is a fish of the Ictaluridae family that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead and yellow bullhead...	1-2 Pounds	6-14 inches	2.7 Pounds- 16 inches also was the Illinois Fishing Records Illinois Fishing Records This is a list of all the fish species in Illinois and the largest in mass caught to this date.-References:http://www.landbigfish.com/staterecords/records.cfm?state=Illinois...
Yellow Bass Yellow bass The yellow bass or barfish, Morone mississippiensis, is a freshwater fish native to the south and midwestern United States. Though sometimes confused with white bass or striped bass, it is distinguished by its yellow belly and the broken pattern in its lowermost stripes...	0.1-0.7 Pounds	4-12 inches	1.1 Pounds- 13 Inches
Rock Bass Rock bass The rock bass , also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, or red eye is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. They are similar in appearance to smallmouth bass but are usually quite a bit smaller...	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

Channel catfish

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...

, blue catfish

Blue catfish

The blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, is one of the largest species of North American catfish. Blue catfish are distributed primarily in the Mississippi River drainage including the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Arkansas rivers...

, sunfish

Sunfish

-Saltwater fishes:*Molidae, family of Ocean Sunfishes*Opah, family Lampridae; two species-Freshwater fishes:* Pygmy sunfish, six members of the genus Elassoma* Centrarchidae, a perciform family of about 27 species...

, largemouth bass

Largemouth bass

The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...

, , walleye

Walleye

Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...

, smallmouth bass

Smallmouth bass

The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...

, white catfish

Ictalurus catus

Ictalurus catus, also known as the white catfish or white bullhead, is a member of the family Ictaluridae of the order Siluriformes.- Distribution :...

, striped bass

Striped bass

The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...

, flathead catfish

Flathead catfish

The flathead catfish , also called the yellow cat, opelousas, and shovelhead cat, are large North American freshwater catfish. This is the only species of the genus Pylodictis...

, crappie

Crappie

Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...

, bluegill

Bluegill

The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...

, yellow bass

Yellow bass

The yellow bass or barfish, Morone mississippiensis, is a freshwater fish native to the south and midwestern United States. Though sometimes confused with white bass or striped bass, it is distinguished by its yellow belly and the broken pattern in its lowermost stripes...

, white bass

White bass

The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...

, rock bass

Rock bass

The rock bass , also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, or red eye is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. They are similar in appearance to smallmouth bass but are usually quite a bit smaller...

, panfish

Panfish

A panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an edible game fish that usually doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan. The term is also commonly used by anglers to refer to any small catch that will fit in a pan, but is large enough to be legal. However its definition and usage varies with...

, white perch

White perch

The white perch, Morone americana, is not a true perch but is, rather, a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America.The name "white perch" is sometimes erroneously applied to the white crappie....

 and here. Fishing came to be one of the top attraction at Bayles Lake due to the high density of fish. Though the lake does not contain sea weed, fish

Fish

Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...

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 the their lures.

History

Bayles Lake was a swamp before being further developed into a lake by Bayles. Incorporated in 1952.

External links

• http://bayleslakehoa.com/
• http://www.fishingworks.com/lakes/illinois/iroquois/buckley/bayles-lake/
• http://www.hookandbullet.com/fishing-bayles-lake-onarga-il/