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Best channel catfish lakes in Illinois

35 Illinois waters hold channel catfish, 21 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. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Lake Springfield — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
2. Illinois River — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
3. Rock River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
4. Sangamon River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
5. Des Plaines River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
6. Lake Glenn Shoals — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
7. Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
8. Anderson Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
9. Kaskaskia River — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
10. Kankakee River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
11. Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
12. Mackinaw River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Longnose Gar
13. Sara Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
14. Fox River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
15. Washington County Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
16. Lake Mattoon — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie
17. Shabbona Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
18. Embarras River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Common Carp
19. Charleston Lake — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, Crappie
20. Homer Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Bluegill
21. Lincoln Trail State Park Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
22. Dawson Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
23. Otter Lake — 51 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
24. Siloam Springs Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
25. Walnut Point Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

…plus 10 more Illinois waters holding channel catfish.

When to fish channel catfish in Illinois

• Spring 3–12 ft — Warm inflows and shallow mud flats after rain.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep holes by day; cats roam shallow flats to feed at night.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish concentrate in river/creek channels and deeper holes.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Stacked in the deepest holes; slow natural baits.

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 bluegill lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes

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