PEORIA MAGAZINE May 2023

Wanna go fishing and more? Here are five spots BY JEFF LAMPE Central Illinois anglers, hunters, paddlers and birdwatchers who want to spend time in strip-mine country have plenty of public options available within a 40-minute drive of Peoria. Here are a few: BANNER MARSH This 4,363-acre Illinois Fish and Wildlife Area offers good to very good fishing for bass, crappie and muskie. And with more than 2,400 acres of water and numerous small ponds, there’s plenty for paddlers to explore. The site also offers waterfowl, deer, dove and upland game hunting in the fall. There are no fees for fishing. Boats with motors over 25 hp are limited to no wake. Located along U.S. Route 24, 15 miles southwest of Peoria. (309) 647-9184. DOUBLE T This 1,961-acre State Fish and Wildlife Area is located in Fulton County, north of Canton at 18000 E. Cypress Rd. The 65-acre main T-lake has depths of 65 feet and is rated as good for crappie and largemouth bass, with a developing population of muskie. There also is hunting for waterfowl and doves. (309) 647-9184. FULTON COUNTY CAMPING & RECREATION AREA The Fulton County Board leases this 440-acre parcel, which contains 12 lakes, 134 acres of surface water and boat ramps. Bluegill, crappie and bass are all rated as good with redear sunfish very good. Fees for fishing and camping. Located southwest of St. David, off Illinois Route 100. (309) 668-2931. LAKELAND PARK This 600-acre property operated by the Canton Park District and open from April through October features five lakes, more than five miles of hiking trails, picnic shelters, boat ramps, fishing opportunities and even scuba diving. There are entry fees and a $1 daily boat launch fee ($30 for the season). Located just west of Canton off West Vine Street. (309) 647-4702. SNAKEDEN HOLLOW A 2,500-acre State Fish and Wildlife Area in Knox County, two miles east of Victoria, Snakeden features 165-acre McMaster Lake and approximately 34 bodies of water over 1 acre in size that can be reached from parking areas surrounding the property. Gravels paths allow foot or bicycle traffic. Most ponds offer good fishing for bluegill and bass and average fishing for crappie and catfish. (309) 879-2607.

Former Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman lands a big bluegill

Chef Todd Kent of Peoria hoists a nice bass

Rick Leonard’s record spotted bass of 7 pounds, 3.12 ounces caught in Fulton County. Up until 2021, Mark Samp also held the state record for smallmouth bass with a 6-pound, 7-ounce lunker caught near Farmington. A Fulton County surface mine also produced the record 5-pound, 6-ounce record black bullhead. A similar excitement builds in strip-mine country in the fall, when the pits attract ducks and geese and provide a waterfowling alternative to Illinois River backwaters. In fact, strip-mine lakes in Fulton and Knox counties were among the first places that the state released Canada geese in the late 1960s. What makes strip-mine country so appealing to wildlife is the combination of large, relatively undisturbed tracts of grass and water that are otherwise rare in an Illinois landscape dominated by corn and soybeans. The most obvious critters to benefit are trophy species such as bass, Canada geese, ducks and deer. But the impact goes beyond game species to birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Grassland birds are among the state’s most threatened critters, but they can often be found in strip-mine country, where it’s not unusual to see short-eared owls or harrier hawks, both endangered in Illinois. Look more closely and you’ll discover even more crawling through the grass or along the edges of the lakes. “We conclude that mine spoil prairie reclamations can support roughly the same degree of amphibian richness as native prairie restorations,” writes scientist Michael J. Lannoo, who has done extensive research in strip mines. The restored lakes also attract humans and have become a hotspot for development. That’s why an 8-acre lot of reclaimed strip-mine ground in Peoria County is currently listing for $275,000, and why land with access to a strip pit regularly brings upwards of $6,000 per acre. No wonder old-timers in strip-mine country are often heard to lament, “I should have bought that ground when it was cheap!” Too late. The former coal mine “wastelands” have been transformed into gold mines for recreation. Jeff Lampe is a native Buffalonian, longtime central Illinois journalist and current owner/publisher of The Weekly Post, a newspaper serving 15 communities in Peoria, Knox and Fulton counties, and The Prairie News, a newspaper in Stark and Henry counties. He lives in Elmwood

MAY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 27