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Best bluegill lakes in Illinois

66 Illinois waters hold bluegill, 22 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.

1. Lake Shelbyville — 65 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
2. Lake Springfield — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites
3. Carlyle Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
4. Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
5. Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 53 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
6. Rend Lake — 31 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
7. Lake Decatur — 28 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
8. Crab Orchard Lake — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
9. Kinkaid Lake — 80 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
10. Sangchris Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
11. Lake Mattoon — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
12. Anderson Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
13. Sara Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. Newton Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
15. Lake Lou Yaeger — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
16. Washington County Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
17. Devils Kitchen Lake — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
18. Shabbona Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
19. Taylorville Lake — 19 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
20. Little Grassy Lake — 65 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
21. Cedar Lake — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
22. Charleston Lake — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
23. Homer Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
24. Lincoln Trail State Park Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Lake Bloomington — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached

…plus 41 more Illinois waters holding bluegill.

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When to fish bluegill in Illinois

• Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
• Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
• Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.

Also in Illinois: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best saugeye lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best striped bass lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes

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