Best walleye lakes in Illinois
29 Illinois waters list walleye (official records or labelled estimates), 8 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — 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.
- Lake Springfield — 22 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites
- Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 43 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
- Illinois River — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 14 public access sites
- Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 53 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
- Rock River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 14 public access sites
- Kankakee River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
- Illinois Waterway — Dresden Island Pool — 31 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
- Fox River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 18 public access sites
- Shabbona Lake — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Lincoln Trail State Park Lake — 38 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Siloam Springs Lake — 38 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Elizabeth Lake — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
…plus 17 more Illinois waters holding walleye.
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Illinois waters with public access data
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 striped bass lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes
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