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Best channel catfish lakes in Illinois

76 Illinois waters hold channel catfish, 25 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 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. Illinois River — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 14 public access sites
6. Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 53 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
7. Rend Lake — 31 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
8. Rock River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 14 public access sites
9. Sangamon River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
10. Lake Decatur — 28 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
11. Crab Orchard Lake — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
12. Lake Glenn Shoals — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
13. Kinkaid Lake — 80 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
14. Sangchris Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
15. Lake Mattoon — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Anderson Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
17. Kaskaskia River — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
18. Kankakee River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
19. Mackinaw River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Longnose GarWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
20. Sara Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Newton Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
22. Illinois Waterway — Dresden Island Pool — 31 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
23. Lake Lou Yaeger — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
24. Des Plaines River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Channel CatfishWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
25. Fox River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 18 public access sites

…plus 51 more Illinois waters holding channel catfish.

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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 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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