Fishing Illinois

Places to go fishing in Illinois

Illinois has over 1,500,000 (1.5 million!!!) acres of rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, streams, and creeks to fish in. With that high amount of water, anglers of any age and experience level are guaranteed to find a favorite spot to catch fish. Illinois waters are filled with catfish, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, perch, trout and many more species. 

Illinois breaks out their bodies of water into regions; Northwest, Northeast, East Central, West Central, and South. We have used that same feature below so it is easier to pick locations specific to a particular region. 

When fishing with the kiddos (especially the younger ones – with less patience), it is recommended to start fishing in the early mornings when the bite is better and not yet too hot (summer and fall months of course). One of the best ways to get a child into and really enjoy the sport of fishing is to start them at a dock where the Redear Sunfish tend to hang out and bite good. Not only do sunfish bite good at a dock, with being higher up out of the water, kids can view the fish swimming and how they attack bait. It’s a very cool thing to watch with them. Seeing the kids get excited about fishing is one of the best feelings in the world as a parent!

For a list of licenses, fees and where to buy, see our Illinois Fishing License page.