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Best freshwater drum lakes in Illinois

9 Illinois waters hold freshwater drum, 1 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 hardest-pulling fish nobody brags about. Roams current seams and mussel beds — bites all day.

1. Illinois River — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
2. Rock River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
3. Sangamon River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
4. Des Plaines River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Channel 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. Lake Mattoon — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie
9. Carlinville Lake — 18 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

When to fish freshwater drum in Illinois

• Spring 5–20 ft — Big spring runs into current — gravel bars and creek mouths.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Channel edges and mussel beds; drum feed by ear — a dragging bait gets found.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Schools slide toward deep holes; slow bottom presentations.
• Winter 15–45 ft — Deep and slow.

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 flathead catfish lakes · best common carp lakes

Freshwater Drum elsewhere: Minnesota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Texas · Kansas · Tennessee · Missouri