Best saugeye lakes in Illinois
6 Illinois waters hold saugeye, 6 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. Walleye × sauger hybrid stocked across midwestern reservoirs. Loves stained water, wind-blown mud lines and dam riprap — bites better in daylight than a walleye.
- Lake Springfield — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Lake Mattoon — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Saugeye, 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
- Dawson Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Carthage Reservoir — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Bluegill
When to fish saugeye in Illinois
- Spring 3–12 ft — Stack below dams, on riprap and gravel shoals as water warms; muddy water is your friend.
- Summer 8–22 ft — Shallower than walleye all summer — fish the first breakline and wind-blown points.
- Fall 8–28 ft — Creek-channel edges and dam faces; the colder it gets, the better the daytime bite.
- Winter 12–30 ft — The premier winter bite in saugeye reservoirs — deep channel bends and tailwaters.
Also in Illinois: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass 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 freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes