A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing Illinois: Finding Prairie State Fishing Spots

By Wes Littlefield

Photos by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Whether you’re new to fishing or Illinois, finding a new spot to wet a line can be intimidating. How do you know where a good place to fish is located? What species should you fish for while there? Are there any good spots near your house?

A man stands on the edge of a shoreline and fishes with a rod and reel. Two boys a little down from the man sit at a picnic table and examine fishing tackle and a bucket. In the background are boats pulled up on the shore and trees.

All these questions and more will be answered as you continue reading!

I’ve fished for decades, and the best way to find a new spot is to talk with other anglers. However, they’re not always willing to give away their honey hole, so the next best approach is to begin your search online at ifishillinois.org

Where to Fish

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has made finding a place to go fishing more accessible than ever. You can search by county, species, water type and more.

Don’t worry if you’re a bank angler; you have many opportunities to wet a line across the Land of Lincoln

By State Region

One of the best features of ifishillinois.org is the ability to narrow your search by region. If you want to fish in the northwest, northeast, west central, east central or south areas of the state, you can easily do so by scrolling down on the home page until you see the map of Illinois then click on the map.

Once you’ve clicked on the map, you will see an alphabetical list of lakes, rivers and ponds across the state. To narrow your search, click on the region where you wish to fish. Now, you can see a list of water bodies in that area, and when you click on the body of water, you will get loads of valuable fishing information specific to that location.

A man kayaks across a lake in an effort to find a good fishing spot. In the background are cattails along the shoreline and an individual boating in the distance. A horizon line of trees is against a blue sky.

There is also a general map and a list of whether boating, camping and picnicking are allowed. The most valuable information is what species are found there and in what densities so you can set reasonable expectations and tailor your gear to the fish that are present. Some general regulations are also available, but they are no substitute for reading the rest of the state fishing regulations.

By Species

Many anglers, myself included, prefer to target a specific species. This helps you know what bait or lures you should use and where to fish.

If you’re new to fishing or want to learn more, the easy way to do this is by going to the Guide to Sport Fishing of Illinois page and clicking on the species you’re interested in. From there, you will have the info you need to choose the body of water with the best habitat for the desired species.

For instance, when I click on the Largemouth Bass icon, I can see the largemouth’s habitat, feeding habits and reproduction information across the state. I can then take this information and choose a body of water, such as Arrowhead Lake in Williamson County, and see that it is a perfect place to go largemouth fishing. With this information, I can apply the knowledge I learned from both pages while fishing there.

The same can be done for every fish species found in Illinois; this keeps you from wasting time targeting a fish in a body of water that doesn’t have a healthy population of that species.

By Water Body Type

Every angler has their favorite water body to fish. Mine is a river because I always catch a few when I fish in a river. For others, it might be a pond or lake. No matter your favorite, you can narrow your search on the IDNR website by hovering over the Places to Fish button and choosing between Lakes & Reservoirs, Family Friendly Waters, Lake Michigan, Rivers or Bank Fishing.

Choosing a specific body of water also helps you identify the type of fish you want to target. Certain species are only found in rivers, while others are only found in lakes or reservoirs. Still, others are found in a variety of waters.

What To Fish For

A young girl wearing a pink, black, and white coat proudly poses while holding up a successfully caught small green fish. In the background is an ice covered waterway with fisherman on top of the ice.

I’ve heard many anglers say, “I’m fishing for whatever bites!” Heck, I’ve even said it myself, even though I know this is rarely the best approach.

Knowing what you want to catch will help you spend more time in spots that are more likely to yield bites.

Some species have the same feeding preferences; some baits and lures overlap. For instance, I use a crappie jig to catch sunfish, white bass, and several other species, but the tiny jig probably isn’t got to get a musky’s attention.

You can check out the Fish Species In Illinois page for a complete list of game fish, but I’ve also listed several of the state’s most popular fish.

Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Black and White Crappie
Striped Bass
Hybrid Bass
White Bass
Blue Catfish
Channel Catfish
Flathead Catfish
Muskellunge
Northern Pike
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Trout (Rainbow and Lake)
Salmon (Chinook, Coho and Pink)

Last Cast

Taking advantage of the free information from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will allow you to find more fishing spots and catch more fish while you’re there. Every angler in the Prairie State should use ifishillinois.org and this guide to help you find a new fishing hole.

I hope to see you fishing!

On top of an illustration of a bottom of a stream with the silhouette of fish in the background overlays the words "New IFISH site: Summer 2025; Be on the lookout for a fully redesigned IFISH Illinois website this summer."

Wes Littlefield is an avid outdoorsman and freelance writer who enjoys hiking, fishing, kayaking, hunting and disc golfing across the U.S. He loves introducing people to the outdoors, especially his wife and daughter. He’s written for Ammo.com, YourBassGuy.com, BestFishingInAmerica.com, Game and Fish Mag and many other outdoor publications.