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Best walleye lakes in Illinois

10 Illinois waters hold walleye, 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. Low-light predator with reflective eyes. Feeds on structure edges at dawn, dusk and night.

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. Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
5. Kankakee River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
6. Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
7. Fox River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
8. Shabbona Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
9. Lincoln Trail State Park Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
10. Siloam Springs Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill

When to fish walleye in Illinois

• Spring 4–15 ft — Spawning runs to gravel shoals, rocky shorelines and inflows.
• Summer 15–35 ft — Deep humps and breaklines by day; edges and flats in low light.
• Fall 12–40 ft — Fish steep structure near deep basins; big fish move shallow at night.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Deep basin flats and humps; short dawn/dusk feeding windows.

Also in Illinois: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass 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 freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes

Walleye elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · Montana · Wyoming · North Dakota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · South Dakota · New York · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Manitoba · Alberta · Georgia · Vermont · West Virginia · Pennsylvania