Illinois is home to some of the most highly pressured lakes in northern Illinois due to the high population of people in the city and throughout the suburbs of Chicago. However, as you head further south, there are many lakes to fish for largemouth bass and there are plenty of bass in the 5 to 7 pound range and even bigger that are caught in this part of the state. Illinois is also home to Newton Lake, which is one of the best largemouth bass lakes for big fish in the midwest. It gets a lot of fishing pressure, but continues to produce so many largemouth bass over 5 pounds with 6, 7 and 8 pound bass being possible.
Learn more about the featured largemouth bass fishing destinations in Illinois.
| Downstate Illinois |
Learn More About Illinois’ Featured Fishing Destinations
| Downstate Illinois | Mississippi River |
| Northern Illinois | Ohio River |
| Illinois River | |
Downstate Illinois
Central and Southern Illinois are home to some very good fishing lakes. Anglers target a variety of fish species, but the primary species of fish down here are largemouth bass, crappie and catfish. Mix in some smallmouth bass, muskie, walleye, bluegill and striped bass and you have a lot of species to target depending on what lake you are fishing.
Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois is home to Chicago and the suburbs of Chicago. This area has a lot of places to fish, however, with all the fishing pressure in this populated area, having success can be very hit or miss. Some of the better places to fish in this part of the state do offer some very good fishing opportunities though. On Lake Michigan, anglers have success off the shores of downtown Chicago and out of Waukegan and Winthrop Harbor. The cooling lakes offer some good fishing for largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass and catfish. For people that enjoy river fishing, the Illinois River is popular for its spring and fall sauger and white bass runs. There are some other places to fish as well throughout northern Illinois.
Illinois River
The main stem of the Illinois River originates at the confluence of the Kankakee and Des Plaines Rivers in Grundy County, Illinois. The river flows southwest across Illinois and it eventually drains into the Mississippi River near the city of Grafton, Illinois. The river provides good fishing for a variety of species of fish. The sauger fishing gets the most attention on this river near Starved Rock State Park, but you an also catch largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, catfish and more.
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River starts at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and ends in the Gulf of Mexico about 100 miles south of New Orleans, Louisiana. It covers more than 2,300 miles and flows through 10 states including 5 major cities. The fishery can be very good depending on what part of the river you are fishing. It will fish much differently up in Minnesota than it does down near New Orleans. There are several featured fishing destinations that we cover that include the Mississippi River as a good body of water to be fishing in that specific area.
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a large river that begins at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet. The river flows for almost 1,000 miles through or borders 6 states which are Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. There are some very good fishing opportunities on this river for many species of fish. Depending on what part of the river you are fishing will dictate what species are around in better numbers. However, some of the fish species you can catch in the Ohio River are white bass, hybrid striped bass, striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sauger, walleye, sunfish and a variety of catfish.
