Illinois River Fishing Spot

• Elevation: 459'
• Last Modified By: vinny60 on 09/10/09 02:21 PM
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The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 273 miles (439 km) long, in the state of Illinois in the United States. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of 40,000 square miles (104,000 km²). The river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route connecting the Great Lakes with the Mississippi. The colonial settlements along the river formed the heart of the area known as the Illinois Country. After the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Hennepin Canal in the 19th century, the river's role as link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi was extended into the era of modern industrial shipping. It is formed by the confluence of the Kankakee and Des Plaines rivers in western Grundy County, approximately 10 mi (16 km) southwest of Joliet. It flows west across northern Illinois, passing Morris and Ottawa, where it is joined by the Mazon River and Fox River. At La Salle it is joined by the Vermilion River, then flows west past Peru, and Spring Valley. In southeastern Bureau County it turns south at an area known as the "Great Bend", flowing southwest across western Illinois, past Lacon and downtown Peoria, the chief city on the river. South of Peoria it is joined by the Mackinaw River and then passes through the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge. Opposite Havana it is joined by the Spoon River. Opposite Browning it is joined by the Sangamon River. It is joined by the La Moine River approximately 5 mi (8 km) southwest of Beardstown. South of its confluence with the La Moine River, it turns south, flowing roughly parallel with the Mississippi across southwestern Illinois. It is joined by the Macoupin Creek on the border between Greene and Jersey counties, approximately 15 mi (24 km) upstream from its confluence with the Mississippi. For the last 20 mi (32 km) of its course, it is separated from the Mississippi by only 5 mi (8 km). It joins the Mississippi near Grafton, approximately 25 mi (40 km) northwest of downtown St. Louis and approximately 20 mi (32 km) upstream from the confluence of the Missouri and the Mississippi. Despite pollution and the continual manipulation of the environment by man, the Illinois River still provides quality sport fishing. Sport species commonly occurring in the river include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, drum, crappie species, bullhead species, bluegill and miscellaneous sunfish species. The river and adjoining backwaters provide an aquatic resource of some 87,000 surface acres. Besides the dam on the Mississippi at Alton in which pool the lower 80 miles of Illinois River is included, there are the LaGrange and Peoria dams on the lower 228 miles of sluggish river and the Starved Rock, Marseilles and Dresden Island dams on the upper 45 miles of faster flowing river. Diverse aquatic habitats are the basis for the diversity of sport fish present, as each species favors certain habitats over others. Tailwater habitat, found below each navigation dam, is fast turbulent water caused by the passage of water through the dam. Tailwaters receive heavy fishing pressure because fish congregate in these rough waters. White bass are particularly fond of tailwaters, and channel catfish and drum are often caught there. Lake and slough habitats have little or no current and may have aquatic vegetation. Lakes have greater average depths than sloughs. These areas are good for bullheads and sunfish species. Side channels are departures from the main channel and may be as wide and deep as the main channel or so shallow that they resemble sloughs. All side channels have current in them during normal water stages Channel and flathead catfish like side channels. Main channel border habitat is the area between the edge of the navigation channel and the closest land or shallow water over submerged land, This is the most predominant habitat along the Illinois and is so varied that most sport species can be found in some type of main channel border area. Largemouth bass, crappie, and bluegill or green sunfish are so common in the Illinois that they are taken from all habitats. Two crappie species occur -- the white crappie and the black crappie -- but, there is no apparent difference in their bait preference or methods used to catch them. Fish near stumps, brush piles or other such shelter. Small minnows are the most common bait and these should be hooked high in the back on a small hook with a bobber 2 to 3 feet above the hook. Nightcrawlers can also be used effectively in early spring. When crappie start schooling before spawning (April and May) leadhead jigs and spinners become productive and may be used in combination with a lip-hooked minnow, Usually the best months are March, April and May; then fishing picks up again in the fall. Sunfish occurring on the Illinois include bluegill, green sunfish, warmouth and occasionally pumpkinseed or rock bass. Fish near cover such as brush piles, stumps, or weed beds and drop your bait as close as possible to the cover. Use as mall bobber to keep the bait off the bottom. The most popular bait is the night crawler on a small hook, but crickets and grasshoppers work well during summer. For ice fishing wax worms or corn borers are quite effective. The white and yellow basses are the true basses native to Illinois. Fishermen often call these fish "stripers", and this can cause confusion with a larger salt water cousin (striped bass) which has adapted to fresh water and has actually been taken from the Ohio River along Illinois. The white bass is generally more abundant than the yellow bass on the Illinois River except for localized areas in the Starved Rock pool. White bass grow larger than yellow, making them more desirable sport fish, These fish like current and turbulence as is shown by their abundance in tailwaters. They are taken on jigs cast into the rough water below dams or obstructions in the main channel border. Sometimes bass can be found in the quieter water along a sand bar or bank in the main channel border. Spinners with minnows or artificial lures resembling minnows are effective when a school of white bass are spotted by the furious surface activity of minnows trying to elude them. Best fishing seems to be in the morning or evening, but bass may be taken from deeper water during the day by retrieving the artificial lure or minnow a short way off the bottom. May and August have been the best months for bass. Largemouth bass are taken most frequently in the main channel border and lake habitats, They like the cover of weed beds, brush, stumps, willows and fallen trees where they can hide from their prey. Since, largemouth are sight feeders they are attracted by action and not by smell of the bait or lure. They succumb to the temptations of a variety of lures, plugs, and jigs which must each be retrieved in the manner best suited to the lure. Common lures are Mepps spinners and plastic worms. Minnows hooked below spinners provide more attraction than the lifeless form of a minnow alone, The best fishing is in May, June and September; and once the weather warms to 75 degrees or better, early morning or evenings are best. Smallmouth bass populations are found in local areas above Peoria. Fish weighing better than 2 1/2lbs have been collected by biologists sampling with electrofishing gear. Although the smallmouth does not attain the size of largemouth bass it is more of a scrapper and pound-for-pound provides more heart-pounding action than any other stream species in Illinois. Artificial lures such as plastic worms, jigs, spinners, and spoons are most effective, but live frogs and crayfish are also successful. Fish in early morning or late evening. Walleye and sauger fishing on on the Illinois has improved considerably the past few years. In the spring the tailwaters of Starved Rock Dam may be crowded with boats of fishermen after their favorite sport and table fish. Many of the fish taken are sauger, which may range in weight up to 5 pounds (the state record sauger was 5 lbs. 12 1/2 oz. taken from the Mississippi). The walleye are generally larger, and reports of 7-8 pounders come in each year. A common lure is a jig-minnow combination with the minnow hooked through the head and a weight attached via a three way swivel to fish the jig a foot or so off the bottom. Lead head jigs or minnows by themselves are also popular. The tailwaters can be fished through winter for walleye or sauger because the rough water keeps them free of ice cover. Reportedly the largest walleye are caught during winter and it takes the hardiest anglers to fish for them. Drum (sheepshead, white perch, silver perch) seem to prefer areas with good current such as tailwaters and the main channel border. Worms, shrimp, or minnows are fished on the bottom over bars, mud flats, or off a gradual bank in areas with moderate to strong current. Although partial to current many drum are taken fishing on the bottom of larger lakes. They can also be caught on trotlines using natural bait. Spring and fall are the best seasons for drum. Catfish are the meat fish for many people who appreciate the occasional 10-15 pound channel or 20-30 pound flathead they catch along with the common 2-10 pounders. "Cats" like to hole up underneath old stumps, downstream of fallen trees, around log jams, and in washout holes along banks. Since these fish rely primarily on their olfactory sense to detect food, prepared baits with a strong odor are most effective. These include blood baits, cheese baits, and various homemade concoctions of an odor so rank that the fisherman can hardly handle them. Worms, liver, shrimp and an almost end less variety of goodies are successful at one time or another for catfish. The more solid prepared baits can be balled around a treble hook and fished on the bottom with a tight line weighted by a sliding sinker, Pieces of sponge rubber are dipped in baits having a thinner consistency and placed on or before a hook, Around trees and log jams a bobber may be necessary to prevent loss of gear. Many catfish are taken on trotlines baited with crayfish or fish, If you're seeking flatheads use large hooks and big bait such as 6" carp on your trotline, Fishing picks up for catfish when it is slacking off for many species during the hot months of summer (July through September), Since sight (hence light) is not necessary for feeding catfish, some of the best fishing may be throughout the night. Black, yellow and occasionally brown bullheads are found in the sloughs. Nightcrawlers are the most common bait, fished beneath a bobber or on the bottom without a bobber. Shrimp, grasshoppers, grubs, liver and prepared baits are among things considered desirable by bullheads, As with their larger cousins bullheads will feed all night, tempting many fishermen to stay out until the wee hours of morning during the warm summer months. This discussion would not be complete without mentioning carp. Carp are not considered in the maps section, because they are so common that they can be caught almost anywhere. Their size and fighting strength are increasing the carps popularity every year. Next to the flathead catfish, carp are the largest fish regularly taken by anglers on the Illinois. Properly prepared, carp are a match for any fish in palatability. So it is no wonder that more and more fishermen are actively seeking carp with worms, corn and doughballs among other baits. Doughballs can be made from flour, water, and a flaky breakfast cereal, which mixture is formed around a treble hook. Fish on the bottom or near the bottom with a bobber in shallow areas from May through October. Private power boats, canoes, rowboats allowed. Rentals available at Starved Rock Outboard motors permitted. Boat ramps are concrete (both above and below waterline). Boat ramps that can accommodate trailered power boats: W.G. Stratton State Park, illini State Park, Allen Park, Starved Rock, Peru, Spring Valley, DePue, Hennepin, Henry, Lacon, Chillicothe, Woodford, Detweiler Park, Peoria Dam, Bartonville, Pekin, Kngston Lodge, Spring lake, Liverpool, Havana/Spoon River, Bath, Anderson Lake, Beardstown, LaGrange Lock & Dam, Meredosia Lake, Meredosia, Naples, Florence, Pearl, odar-Diamond, Glades, Hadly Lodge, Long Lake, Pere Marquette, Swan Lake, Polhman Slough, Grafton.

The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 273 miles (439 km) long, in the U.S. state of Illinois.[3] The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of 28,070 square miles (72,701 km2).[2] The river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route connecting the Great Lakes with the Mississippi. The colonial settlements along the river formed the heart of the area known as the Illinois Country. After the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Hennepin Canal in the 19th century, the river's role as link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi was extended into the era of modern industrial shipping.