Fishing in
Illinois
5,268 named waters · 0 stocked in the last 30 days
Lake Michigan's Chicago shoreline and harbors hold salmon and trout fisheries built on stocked Chinook, coho, and steelhead, while the Mississippi and Illinois rivers carry catfish, crappie, and largemouth bass through the rest of the state. Illinois' fishing identity splits cleanly between big-water Great Lakes trolling and river system fishing.
Illinois holds 5,268 fishable waters on the books. Illinois DNR has logged 373 stockings in the last year, led by channel catfish. The biggest water in the state is Carlyle Lake at 22,797 acres.
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What you'll catch here
- Channel Catfish98 waters
- Largemouth Bass31 waters
- Rainbow Trout25 waters
- Walleye20 waters
- Muskellunge16 waters
- Bluegill14 waters
- Striped Bass x White Bass (Wiper)14 waters
- Northern Pike13 waters
Freshest stockings
Full report →- Crab Orchard LakeLargemouth BassJan 1, 2026
- Mermet LakeLargemouth BassJan 1, 2026
- Powerton Cooling LakeLargemouth BassJan 1, 2026
- Washington County LakeLargemouth BassJan 1, 2026
- Beck LakeNorthern PikeJan 1, 2026
Most-stocked waters, last 12 months
- Mermet Lake4× stocked
- Weldon Springs Lake4× stocked
- Miller Park Lake4× stocked
- Grand Marais Lake4× stocked
- Powerton Cooling Lake4× stocked
- Shabbona Lake4× stocked
- Ferne Clyffe Lake3× stocked
- Heidecke Lake3× stocked
- Kaskaskia River2× stocked
- Sam Dale Lake2× stocked
Biggest waters
- Carlyle Lake22,797 ac
- Mine Number 21 Reservoir17,062 ac
- Upper Peoria Lake15,461 ac
- Lake Shelbyville10,235 ac
- Crab Orchard Lake7,293 ac
- Senachwine Lake5,450 ac
- Lake Clinton4,585 ac
- Quiver Lake2,927 ac
Major rivers
- Picayune Chuteorder 10 · ~8 cfs
- Illinois Riverorder 9 · ~20,211 cfs
- Des Plaines Riverorder 9 · ~5,842 cfs
- Kankakee Riverorder 9 · ~4,386 cfs
- Andalusia Sloughorder 9 · ~23 cfs
- Dark Chuteorder 9 · ~4 cfs
- Bogus Chuteorder 9 · ~1 cfs
- Helmbold Sloughorder 9 · ~1 cfs
Waters by county
All counties →Cook (189) · Pike (141) · Lake (129) · Fulton (125) · St. Clair (114) · Madison (106) · Wayne (104) · Macoupin (103) · Mason (99) · Adams (95) · Fayette (90) · Clinton (89) · Tazewell (84) · Hancock (74) · Jackson (73) · Perry (72) · Monroe (71) · Marion (71) · Mercer (70) · Peoria (70) · Calhoun (70) · Kane (69) · Henderson (69) · Cass (67) · Clark (67) · Bureau (67) · Knox (65) · DuPage (62) · Greene (62) · Henry (61)
Seasons, limits, and rules are Illinois's call — read the official regulations and buy your license from the state, not a middleman. We link the source; we never restate the rules.
Explore nearby states
Illinois fishing — FAQ
Where does Illinois stock fish?+
Illinois DNR logged 373 stockings across Illinois in the last year, led by channel catfish, largemouth bass, rainbow trout and walleye. Browse the map and most-stocked waters above for exact locations.
How often does Illinois stock fish?+
Illinois's agency publishes stocking updates that we check daily. Follow any water to track its stocking schedule.
Do I need a license to fish in Illinois?+
Yes — Illinois requires a fishing license for most anglers. Buy one from the state agency and check current seasons and limits before you go.
How many fishable waters are in Illinois?+
Illinois has 5,268 named fishable waters mapped on FishableWaters, from stocked reservoirs to wild streams.