Best crappie lakes in Illinois
27 Illinois waters hold crappie, 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. Schooling panfish that suspends around timber, brush and creek channels.
- Lake Springfield — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Lake Glenn Shoals — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
- Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Anderson Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Kaskaskia River — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Sara Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Washington County Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Lake Mattoon — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie
- Shabbona Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Charleston Lake — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, Crappie
- Homer Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lincoln Trail State Park Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
- Dawson Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Otter Lake — 51 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Siloam Springs Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Walnut Point Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Kickapoo State Park Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Carthage Reservoir — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Vermont Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Greenfield Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Boulder Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Pittsfield Lake — 28 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, White Bass & Hybrids
- La Harpe Reservoir — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Carlinville Lake — 18 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
…plus 2 more Illinois waters holding crappie.
When to fish crappie in Illinois
- Spring 2–8 ft — The famous spring bite: brush, timber and docks in protected shallow pockets.
- Summer 10–25 ft — Find suspended schools over channel-edge brush piles and deep timber.
- Fall 8–20 ft — Schools follow shad into creeks; fish channel bends with cover.
- Winter 15–35 ft — Tight schools in deep holes and channel bends; slow 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 bluegill lakes · best channel catfish 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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