Navigation Home - AA-Fishing Lakes Fish

The Best Fishing Lakes In Illinois

Pick A LakePick A SpeciesPick A State

Top places to fish for bass, catfish, crappie and more in IL.

By AA-Fishing Staff Writers

  • Anderson Lake, IL
  • Carlyle Lake, IL
  • Cedar Lake, IL
  • Clinton Lake, IL
  • Coffeen Lake, IL
  • Crab Orchard Lake, IL
  • Devils Kitchen Lake, IL
  • East Fork Lake, IL
  • Evergreen Lake, IL
  • Fox Chain O' Lakes, IL
  • Heidecke Lake, IL
  • Kinkaid Lake, IL
  • Lake Decatur, IL
  • Lake Lou Yeager, IL
  • Lake Mattoon, IL
  • Lake Of Egypt, IL
  • Lake Shelbyville, IL
  • Lake Springfield, IL
  • Lake Taylorville, IL
  • Little Grassy Lake, IL
  • Newton Lake, IL
  • Pistakee Lake, IL
  • Rend Lake, IL
  • Sangchris Lake, IL

Top Overall Fishing Lakes

Clinton Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, Fox Chain O' Lakes, Kinkaid Lake, Lake Decatur, Lake Shelbyville, Rend Lake and Sangchris Lake are among the most popular places for fishing in Illinois, offering anglers the chance to pursue a variety of fish species, some offer ice fishing when the ice is safe in winter. The Fishing Boat Rental Page lists options for fishing boat rentals at some of these lakes.

Illinois is home to a wide range of fishing lakes, offering diverse opportunities for anglers to pursue their favorite fish species. The state features both warm water lakes and cold water lakes, each providing unique fishing experiences. The purpose of this page is to share basic information about the best fishing lakes in the state, and the species found in each lake.

Warm water lakes in Illinois are known for their abundance of popular game fish species such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish. These lakes, characterized by their higher water temperatures during the summer months, provide ideal conditions for warm water fish to thrive. Anglers can target bass using various techniques like casting with lures or live bait, while bluegill and crappie are often caught using small jigs or live bait presentations. Catfish can be caught using stinkbaits, cut bait, or nightcrawlers. Warm water lakes in Illinois offer ample opportunities for anglers seeking a variety of game fish and exciting angling adventures.

Cold water lakes, on the other hand, are known for their cooler temperatures, making them ideal habitats for cold water species like trout and salmon. These lakes are typically stocked with these prized game fish, offering anglers the chance to reel in some impressive catches. Popular cold water lakes in Illinois include Lake Michigan and its tributaries, where anglers can target species like chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead trout, and brown trout. Cold water lakes provide thrilling fishing experiences, with anglers often using techniques such as trolling with spoons, spinners, or fishing with bait like spawn sacs or flies.

In addition to warm water and cold water lakes, Illinois boasts an array of species that can be targeted across its various fishing lakes. These include bass (both largemouth and smallmouth), crappie, bluegill, catfish (such as channel catfish and flathead catfish), walleye, muskie, northern pike, trout (including rainbow trout and brown trout), salmon (such as chinook and coho salmon), and more. Anglers can tailor their fishing trips to target specific species depending on their preferences and the lake they choose to fish.

With its abundant lakes and diverse fish species, Illinois offers a wealth of fishing opportunities for anglers of all skill levels. Whether you're seeking the thrill of catching bass, the challenge of targeting trout, or the excitement of reeling in a trophy-sized catfish, the fishing lakes of Illinois provide a vast playground for anglers to explore and enjoy.

Fishing Boats For Rent In IL


Bass Fishing Lakes

Largemouth Bass
Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass

Spotted Bass
Spotted Bass

Carlyle Lake, Cedar Lake, Clinton Lake, Coffeen Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, East Fork Lake, Fox Chain O' Lakes, Heidecke Lake, Kinkaid Lake, Lake Michigan, Lake Of Egypt, Lake Shelbyville, Lake Springfield, Little Grassy Lake and Rend Lake are considered the best options for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. More...


Catfish Fishing Lakes

Channel Catfish
Channel Catfish

Blue Catfish
Blue Catfish

Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish

Carlyle Lake, Clinton Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, Fox Chain O' Lakes, Heidecke Lake, Kinkaid Lake, Lake Shelbyville, Lake Springfield, Newton Lake, Rend Lake and Sangchris Lake are favorite options for channel, blue and flathead catfish. More...


Crappie Fishing Lakes

Black Crappie
Black Crappie

White Crappie
White Crappie

Clinton Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, East Fork Lake, Evergreen Lake, Fox Chain O' Lakes, Kinkaid Lake, Lake Decatur, Lake Lou Yeager, Lake Mattoon, Lake Of Egypt, Lake Shelbyville, Lake Springfield, Rend Lake and Sangchris Lake are the most popular for black and white crappie. More...


Sunfish, Panfish & Perch Fishing Lakes

Bluegill
Bluegill

Green Sunfish
Green Sunfish

Hybrid Sunfish
Hybrid Sunfish

Redear Sunfish
Redear Sunfish

Rock Bass
Rock Bass

Warmouth
Warmouth

White Bass
White Bass

Yellow Bass
Yellow Bass

Yellow Perch
Yellow Perch

Anderson Lake, Carlyle Lake, Cedar Lake, Clinton Lake, Coffeen Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, Devils Kitchen Lake, Fox Chain O' Lakes, Lake Decatur, Lake Of Egypt, Lake Shelbyville, Lake Springfield, Little Grassy Lake, Pistakee Lake, Rend Lake and Sangchris Lake are popular spots to fish for bluegill, bream, perch and other sunfish. More...


Walleye, Sauger & Saugeye Fishing Lakes

Walleye
Walleye

Sauger
Sauger

Saugeye
Saugeye

Crab Orchard Lake, East Fork Lake, Evergreen Lake, Fox Chain O' Lakes, Heidecke Lake, Kinkaid Lake, Lake Decatur, Lake Mattoon, Lake Of Egypt, Lake Shelbyville, Lake Taylorville and Sangchris Lake are considered amongst the top lakes for walleye fishing. More...


Trout Fishing Lakes

Rainbow trout
Rainbow trout

Brown trout
Brown trout

While many small lakes and ponds are stocked with trout, Devil's Kitchen Lake is the favorite option among larger lakes for rainbow and brown trout. More...


Striped Bass Fishing Lakes

Striped Bass
Striped bass

Hybrid Striped Bass
Hybrid striped bass

Cedar Lake, Clinton Lake, Coffeen Lake, Heidecke Lake, Lake Decatur, Lake Mattoon and Sangchris Lake are the best options for striped bass or hybrid striped bass. More...


Salmon Fishing Lakes

Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic Salmon

Coho Salmon
Coho Salmon

Lake Michigan is the only option in IL for Atlantic and coho sockeye salmon fishing. More...


Visit the Illinois fishing page for links to information covering a wide variety of fish species and destinations in the state. Visit the Illinois map to identify your best route to these top fishing locations. .

 

Best Destinations By State.

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