Illinois Fishing

Fishing License

Who needs a license
Free Fishing Days (No license required)

Laws & Regulations

Educate yourself on Illinois’s fishing laws and regulations to ensure you stay legal and avoid costly fines.

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass are the most targeted species for freshwater anglers. They can be found in every state other than Alaska. They are the largest species of bass.

Learn more about largemouth bass

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass are the most aggressive bass which makes fishing for them a ton fun. They have a ton of fight which makes up for their smaller sizes. Even though they are smaller than largemouth they still can get pretty big.

Learn more about smallmouth bass

Striped Bass

Striped bass started out as saltwater fish but were added to freshwater where they survived and adapted. They are a schooling fish, so if you catch one it is very likely there are more around.

Hybrid Striped Bass

• Hybrid mix of striped and white bass
• Broken horizontal strips on body
• Two separate tooth patches on back of tongue

Learn more about hybrid striped bass

White Bass

• Silver-white to pale green color
• Dark back, with white sides and belly
• narrow dark stripes through the length of their sides
• White bass look like shorter versions of striped bass.

Learn more about white bass

Yellow Bass

• Smallest species of bass
• Brass to yellowish coloring
• Broken stripes on their sides that are offset on the lower side of their anal fin
• Two dorsal fins that are connected by a membrane whereas both white and striped bass are separate.

Learn more about yellow bass

Blue Catfish

Blue catfish have a flat dorsal fin and forked tail. They have smooth scaleless skin with a light blue body and white belly. They have four pairs of whisker-like barbels.

Blue catfish can grow up to 5ft long and more than 100 lbs. The average size you see is 1-2ft long.

Learn more about blue catfish

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish have a slender scaleless body with a forked tail. They have an olive green to light grey color body with small black spots along their body.

Channel catfish can grow up to 52 inches long and 60lbs. The average size you will see is 1-3ft long and 1-15lbs.

Learn more about channel catfish

Flathead Catfish

Flathead catfish have a flathead and a smooth scaleless body. They have a pale yellow to light brown colored body with a cream belly.

Flathead catfish can grow up to 3-ft long and weight 123lb. The average size you will see is 10-15lbs.

Learn more about flathead catfish

Yellow Bullhead

• Yellowish brown on back and sides
• Yellow to white belly
• Rear edge of the tail fin is nearly straight
• Anal fin rays usually number 24–27

Black Bullhead

• Dark greenish or yellowish brown
• belly is yellowish or white
• Black chin barbels
• Upper jaw projects beyond the lower jaw
• Anal fin usually has 17–21 rays

Brown Bullhead Catfish

• Olive to yellowish brown body
• Dark brown spots throughout body
• Four pairs of dark barbels
• Squared tail
• Sharp spines on dorsal and pectoral fins

Black Crappie

Black crappie have white bodies with a dark green and black back. Throughout their bodies they have black and brown spots.

World Record: 5 lb 7 oz – 19.25 inches long

White Crappie

White crappie have a white to silver body with a dark green back. They have blotches that make vertical bars across their sides.

World Record: 5 lb 3 oz – 21 inches long

Bluegill

• Large, deep bodied sunfish with a small mouth
• Sides are dark bluish-green in color with vertical bars throughout their body
• They have a large dark spot at the rear of the soft dorsal fin
• Their belly is deep orange to rust color
• Adults can grow to 16 in. but usually reach 6-11 in.

Learn more about bluegill

Green Sunfish

• Large, robust sunfish with a large mouth
• Blue irregular stripes of color on the sides of their head
• Large black spot at the rear of their soft dorsal fin
• Adults can grow to 12 in. but usually reach 8-10 in.

Learn more about green sunfish

Redear Sunfish

• Large, deep bodied sunfish with a small mouth with long, pointed snout and small mouth
• Adult males have a red margin on the gill cover flap while females have a light orange flap
• Adults can grow to 15 in. but usually reach 8-11 in.

Learn more about redear sunfish

Warmouth

• Medium-sized, robust sunfish with a large head and mouth
• Dark olive to grey colors with brownish sides and yellow markings
• Dark red-brown lines flowing from the back of their eye
• Adults can grow to 12 in. but most are less than 10 in.

Learn more about warmouth

Rock Bass

• Dark green or brown color with brassy yellow flecks
• 4-5 wide dark saddles over the back and down the sides
• Often called “redeye” or “goggleye” due to its large, deep red eyes
• Has 5 or 6 spines in their anal fin
• Adults can grow to 17 inches but fish exceeding 12 inches are rare

Learn more about rock bass

Pumpkinseed

• Molted blue, orange, yellow, and olive green coloring
• Wavy blue lines on cheeks
• Orange belly
• Black earflaps with red or orange boarder
• 10 spines on the front of dorsal fin with a rounded back

Learn more about pumpkinseed

Longnose Gar

• Brown to dark olive coloring
• Dark spots on back, sides, and fins
• Elongated jaws that form a needle-like snout nearly three times the length of its head
• Upper jaw has a row of cone-shaped teeth
• Diamond-shaped interlocking scales

Shortnose Gar

• Brown to olive green coloring
• White belly
• Black spots on the top of the head and on paired fins
• Upper jaw has one row of cone-shaped teeth
• Beak is only about 5 1/2 times as long as its narrowest width

Spotted Gar

• Brown back that gradients to a silver to white belly
• Has dark spots on its head, fins, and body
• Upper jaw has one row of cone-shaped teeth
• Maximum length of 3ft

Walleye (Sander canadensis)

• Olive back that gradients down to gold side
• 5 dark bars along sides
• White tip on tail

Learn more about walleye

Yellow Perch

• Yellow to gold coloring
• White belly
• Green to yellow eyes
• 6-8 dark bands along their sides
• Dorsal fin with 12-14 spines and a second dorsal fin with 12-13 soft rays plus 2-3 spines

Sauger (Sander canadensis)

• Bronze to olive color
• Dark blotches on side with white belly
• No white on tail

Learn more about sauger

Saugeye

• Hybrid between walleye and sauger
• Mix between gray to silver color of a walleye and the bronze or brown color of a sauger
• Dark vertical bars between the spines of the first dorsal fin
• White tips on the lower part of the tail and anal fins

Northern Pike

• Long torpedo shaped body
• Grey to green body with light-colored spots
• Yellowish-white belly
• Scales cover their entire cheek and the upper half of their gill covers

Muskellunge

• Greenish to golden brown coloring on their backs and upper sides
• Long thin body with a flat head and mouth filled with sharp teeth
• 6 to 9 pores on the lower jaw

Learn more about muskie

Brook Trout (Salmo trutta)

• Worm like markings along back & head
• White edges along fins
• Found in eastern North America, Europe, Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia

Learn more about brook trout

Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

• Distinct red pink stripe down their side
• Black spots throughout body
• Square, broad tail

Learn more about rainbow trout

Lake Trout

• Dark green to brown or greyish color
• Darker on top half of body
• White to yellow spots throughout body

Chinook Salmon

• Blue-green on head and back
• Silver on sides
• Irregular black spots on tail, back, and upper fin
• Black markings around gums
• Male Chinook salmon have a distinctive hooked nose at the top of the mouth and a ridged back
• During the mating season, both male and female salmon develop a reddish tint around their back fins and tail

Coho Salmon

• Bright silver body
• Small black spots on the back
• White gums
• Spawning adults of both sexes have dark backs and heads with reddish sides

Pink Salmon

• Smallest of the Pacific salmon found in North America
• Young pink salmon are completely silver without any dark vertical bars or spots
• In the ocean, adults are bright greenish-blue on top and silvery on its sides
• Develop large black spots on their back and all over their tail when they return to freshwater
• Males develop a large hump, and hooked jaws when entering spawning grounds

Common Carp

• Babels in each corner of their mouth
• Olive-brown to reddish-brown with a yellow belly
• Large and thick scales

Learn more about common carp

Freshwater Drum

• Humped back with sloping forehead
• Gray body with bronze reflection and white lips
• Rounded triangular tail

Bowfin

• Green and brown coloring on side and back
• Silver to white colored belly
• Black spot surrendered by orange ring on tail
• Paired fins and anal fin are bright green
• Jaw has strong conical teeth