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Best flathead catfish lakes in Illinois

13 Illinois waters hold flathead catfish, 4 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. Solitary giant that lairs in log jams and deep holes by day and prowls at night — live bait only.

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. Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
6. Kaskaskia River — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
7. Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
8. Mackinaw River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Longnose Gar
9. Fox River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
10. Lake Mattoon — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie
11. Embarras River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Common Carp
12. Walnut Point Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
13. Vermont Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

When to fish flathead catfish in Illinois

• Spring 5–20 ft — Pre-spawn fish feed hard near wood cover and hole edges.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Day = log-jam lairs and deep holes. Night = shallow flats and bar edges with big live bait.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Fish concentrate near wintering holes — the year's best big-fish window.
• Winter 20–45 ft — Stacked and sluggish in the deepest holes.

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

Flathead Catfish elsewhere: Minnesota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Mississippi · Texas · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Georgia · West Virginia · South Carolina