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Guide To The Best Bass Fishing Lakes In Illinois

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Fish for spotted, smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Bass fishing in Illinois

Bass are one of the most sought after of all the game fish. Its appeal spans cultures, age groups and genders to tap on the heart strings of anglers everywhere. Visit the Bass Knowledge Center for valuable information about bass and bass fishing.

Bass reside in ponds, creeks, rivers, streams, small lakes and large impoundments across the state. Bass lakes in Illinois. Some of the larger lakes with healthy populations of bass include Anderson Lake, Carlyle Lake, Cedar Lake, Clinton Lake, Coffeen Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, Devils Kitchen Lake, East Fork Lake, Evergreen Lake, Fox Chain O' Lakes, Governor Bond Lake, Heidecke Lake, Kinkaid Lake, Lake Carroll, Lake Decatur, Lake Lou Yeager, Lake Mattoon, Lake Michigan, Lake Of Egypt, Lake Shelbyville, Lake Springfield, Lake Taylorville, Little Grassy Lake, Newton Lake, Otter Lake, Rend Lake and Sangchris Lake.

Fishing Boats For Rent In IL

Bass In Illinois

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass

World record: 22 lbs 4 oz

State Record: 13 lbs 1 oz

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

World record: 11 lbs 15 oz

State Record: 6 lbs 7 oz

Spotted Bass

Spotted bass

World record: 9 lbs 8 oz

State Record: 7 lbs 3.12 oz

Click the images and links above for species details.

Top 5 Bass Fishing Lures For Illinois

When bass are shallow, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and stickbaits are the most productive. As they move deeper, worms and jigs are among the top producers.

Illinois State Record Bass

The state record largemouth bass was caught in Stone Quarry Lake.

The state record smallmouth came from a strip mine lake.

The state record spotted bass came out of a strip mine lake.


Smallmouth Bass

 

Brennan Kirby shows off a nice 7lb smallmouth.

Bass fishin

g basics video.

Understanding the primary seasonal movements of smallmouth bass and largemouth bass is key to locating them on local lakes in the Prairie State.

Bass fishing book

Catch big bass!

 

Bass fishing information by state.

AL Bass Fishing AR Bass Fishing AZ Bass Fishing CA Bass Fishing CO Bass Fishing CT Bass Fishing DC Bass Fishing DE Bass Fishing FL Bass Fishing GA Bass Fishing HI Bass Fishing IA Bass Fishing ID Bass Fishing
IL Bass Fishing IN Bass Fishing KS Bass Fishing KY Bass Fishing LA Bass Fishing MA Bass Fishing MD Bass Fishing ME Bass Fishing MI Bass Fishing MN Bass Fishing MO Bass Fishing MS Bass Fishing MT Bass Fishing
NC Bass Fishing ND Bass Fishing NE Bass Fishing NH Bass Fishing NJ Bass Fishing NM Bass Fishing NV Bass Fishing NY Bass Fishing OH Bass Fishing OK Bass Fishing OR Bass Fishing PA Bass Fishing
RI Bass Fishing SC Bass Fishing SD Bass Fishing TN Bass Fishing TX Bass Fishing UT Bass Fishing VA Bass Fishing VT Bass Fishing WA Bass Fishing WI Bass Fishing WV Bass Fishing WY Fishing
 
The lifecycle of bass

The more you know about the seasonal migration of bass, the more likely you are to be looking in the right area next time you visit Illinois bass fishing lakes. Visit the bass fishing page for more in-depth information about bass activities.