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Illinois River

Fishing spots, fishing reports, and regulations in

Illinois, United States

4.4·4221 catches

Top fish species at Illinois River

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Illinois River fishing reports

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Freshwater drum

length · weight

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White bass

length · weight

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White bass

length · weight

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Channel catfish

length · weight

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Blue catfish

length · weight

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White crappie

14 in · 2 lb

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General info

Illinois River is a stream located in Fulton County, Illinois, United States. It is also intersecting with Brown County, Illinois. It is most popular for fishing Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, and Channel catfish.

Location

40°11′16.9″N 90°11′50.2″W
Directions

Amenities

When are Largemouth Bass biting on Illinois River?

Learn what time of year and day to go fishing at Illinois River. Download Fishbrain today to look for new fishing spots, scout new fishing access, or prep for your next trip.

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Fishing regulations at Illinois River, IL

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in Illinois can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Largemouth bass as of April 20th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Largemouth bass

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

6

Aggregate

6

There is no statewide size limit. Daily harvest limit is 6 Bass, either singly or in the aggregate, except as specified under Site-Specific Regulations. Only statewide regulations are shown herein, but you can access Site-Specific Regulations online.

Micropterus nigricans

Regulations for

40°11′16.9″N 90°11′50.2″W
Regulations in the map
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Local laws and licenses

Illinois fishing license

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Reviews of Illinois River

4.4
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20 ratings

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1
Top reviews

Cities nearby

Bath

2.9 miles away

Astoria

8.8 miles away

Chandlerville

10.0 miles away

Kilbourne

10.1 miles away

Browning

10.2 miles away

Havana

10.5 miles away

Ipava

13.2 miles away

Oakford

13.6 miles away

Vermont

14.3 miles away

Lewistown

14.6 miles away

Virginia

16.3 miles away

Liverpool

17.3 miles away

Beardstown

17.5 miles away

Easton

19.0 miles away

Goofy Ridge

19.7 miles away

Bryant

19.9 miles away

Rushville

20.1 miles away

Smithfield

20.4 miles away

Cuba

21.1 miles away

Lake Petersburg

22.5 miles away

Forest City

23.1 miles away

Literberry

23.2 miles away

Greenview

25.1 miles away

Mason City

26.4 miles away

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FAQ about Illinois River fishing

the Illinois River is a stream located in Fulton County, Illinois, United States. It is also intersecting with Brown County, Illinois. Its coordinates are:
40°11′16.9″N 90°11′50.2″W
.
Find the best fishing spots on the Illinois River by looking at where other anglers have caught fish. This can easily be done in the where it is also possible to see big fish potential and how good fishing is right now along with Garmin® depth maps.
The most common species in the Illinois River are:
The latest Illinois River fishing reports are:
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