Crab Orchard Lake is a 7,000-acre impoundment located at Crab Orchard NWR in Williamson County, Illinois.  Crab Orchard Lake is a popular destination for recreational anglers, is host to several fishing tournaments each year, and is important to the local economy. 

The Illinois Department of Natural resources (IDNR), Carterville Fishery Resources Office (FRO), and Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (CONWR) cooperatively manage the recreational fishery at Crab Orchard. 

The management activities that take place on Crab Orchard Lake each year include an annual fall fisheries survey of the lake.  On October 17th, Carterville NFWCO staff members Nathan Richards, Matt Wegener, and Matt Mangan assisted employees of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and volunteers from Shawnee Community College in conducting the annual fall fisheries survey of Crab Orchard Lake. 

The survey was conducted on October 17^th and included the efforts of four electrofishing crews spread across Crab Orchard Lake.  Projects such as this one help to reinforce the Service’s partnerships with other natural resource agencies.