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TEN MILE CREEK FWA


Lake Information

County: Hamilton

Recreational Amenities

Boat Ramps? No

Boat Rental? No

Skiing? No

Swimming? No




There are no zebra mussels in this lake.


Lake Status Summary  ( Full PDF Report )

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Species

Rank

Fish Status

BLUEGILL

Very Good

Fishing for bluegill and other sunfish is expected to be good. Several locations sampled have bluegills ranging in size from young of the year up to 8 inches in length. Most anglers target sunfish in the spring of the year while the fish are on beds. This generally occurs from late April through June.

CHANNEL CATFISH

Good

Catfish reported by anglers and collected during population surveys have ranged in size up to 18 inches. The channel catfish population is enhanced by frequent stocking of non-vulnerable channel catfish. As a result, good fishing opportunities are expected at Tenmile Creek. Site Regulation: Six fish per day limit.

CRAPPIE

Excellent

Black and white crappie are present at Tenmile Creek and fishing as reported by anglers can be excellent. Anglers have to be willing to move to find fish and should target crappie around structure, humps and ledges using minnows and jigs. There are no size or creel limits on crappie at Tenmile Creek Fish and Wildlife Area.

LARGEMOUTH BASS

Good

Survey data suggests the majority of largemouth bass in most strip cut locations at Tenmile Creek consist of fish that are 1.5 pounds or less. Non-strip cut ponds can have larger bass present. As a general rule, anglers should look for bigger bass in waters that are more fertile. Bass fishing is expected to be fair to good. Site Regulation: 3 fish per day creel limit.

Location: This 5,824 acre complex is divided into four large areas; the Belle Rive Unit 1,498 acres, Eads Mine Unit 1,151 acres, Dahlgren Unit 1,119 acres and the Goshen Trail Unit 1,689 acres. The Belle Rive Unit lays east and north of Belle Rive, north of Illinois Highway 142. The Eads Mine Unit lays southwest of Belle Rive, south of Illinois Highway 142. The Dahlgren Unit lies south of Dahlgren, approximately three miles, and extends to Delafield south of Illinois Highway 142. The Goshen Trail Unit is split into north and south halves by Illinois Highway 14, approximately 4 miles west of McLeansboro.

Description: Ten Mile Creek, in Jefferson and Hamilton counties, was secured by the Department of Natural Resources in 1988 from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Of the total 5,823 acres located within Ten Mile Creek Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA), approximately 205 acres are surface waters greater than three acres (lakes) and 48 acres are waters less than three acres (ponds). Water within the Belle Rive Unit consists of seven lakes totaling 64.2 acres and 5 ponds totaling 7.8 acres. The Eads Mine Unit has 15 lakes and 52 ponds with 141.0 and 35.7 total acres respectively. The water portions of the Dahlgren Unit and Goshen Trail Unit are thirteen ponds totaling 6.2 acres and 20 ponds totaling 4.8 acres respectively.

History and Status of the Sport Fishery: The fishable waters at Tenmile Creek are a combination of strip cuts from mining activities to man-made ponds; therefore there is a great amount of variability on this site. Traditional fish sampling methods are often not adequate at assessing the fish populations at Tenmile Creek due to water conductivity and water depth. For this reason anglers are encouraged to network with other anglers to find the fishing "hotspots."

Contact Information:
IDNR Fisheries Biologist, Nick Abell
618-967-0952