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Fishing Embarras River: what the data says
Charleston to Newton: one of Illinois' best spotted bass streams. The river tops out around 10 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Spotted Bass fishing at Embarras River
In spring, spotted bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Riffle & run (mile 0.6) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring spotted bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot over brush or a underspin + fluke (schoolers) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Embarras River
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Riffle & run (mile 0.6): a rock pile around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Channel Catfish fishing at Embarras River
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 3.4): a creek channel around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Embarras River
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Greenup snag reach: a standing timber / brush around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday |
Longnose Gar fishing at Embarras River
Spring longnose gar on Embarras River hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 3.4), a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for longnose gar in fall. Plan around midday and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a rope lure or a small white spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday |
Common Carp fishing at Embarras River
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Tailout eddy (mile 6.8) is the standout, a eddy pocket at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for winter common carp. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Fox Ridge Lake Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 3.4): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 10.2): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 14.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 20.2): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 22.4): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 26.7): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 29.8): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 32.0): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 37.0): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 41.9): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 44.7): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 46.9): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 49.4): creek channel, around 8 ft
Common questions
How deep is Embarras River?
Embarras River is about 10 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Embarras River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, common carp, longnose gar, spotted bass on Embarras River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Embarras River?
Riffle & run (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Embarras River?
For spotted bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Charleston Lake · Lake Mattoon · Sara Lake · Lincoln Trail State Park Lake · Walnut Point Lake · Lake Altamont
See how Embarras River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois · best flathead catfish lakes in Illinois · best common carp lakes in Illinois
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