Class I Illinois River, IL

Illinois Fishing River (Kankakee - Des Plaines Confluence to Mississippi River)

The slow-moving Illinois River, which twists 273 miles through the heart of the state before joining the Mississippi River 14 miles upstream from Alton, has shown an improved fishery since the late 1970s, and anglers have made fine catches of sauger and walleyes, white bass, channel catfish, largemouth bass and panfish from both the main stream and backwaters. Forming at the junction of the Kankakee and Des Plaines Rivers in the northeastern part of the state, the Illinois and its backwaters provide some 87,000 surface acres. There are five dams on the Illinois River besides the one on the Mississippi at Alton in which pool the lower 80 miles of the Illinois is included. The depth of the river is regulated for navigation purposes by this series of locks and dams. Each section of the river between dams is called a navigation pool. The pools are given the name of the dam, which controls the water level of the pool, that is, the dam that is immediately downstream from the pool. (Illinois DNR)

Section Details

Trip Length Multiday, 273.0 Miles
Fishing No
Camping No
Manager State, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Wild & Scenic No
Water Trail No
Partner Information https://www.ifishillinois.org/profiles/Illinois.php