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Elgin to Yorkville: dam-to-dam smallmouth and walleye through the western suburbs. The river tops out around 10 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Fox River maps at 1,597 acres behind 77.3 miles of shoreline, with 23 islands in the mix. A development index of 13.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 28.5 mi long by 4.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Kane County. If the bite dies, Des Plaines River is 23 mi to the southeast.
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it North Aurora riffles: a rock pile around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | North Aurora riffles (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | North Aurora riffles (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | North Aurora riffles (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 30.4) (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 3 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Blackberry Creek confluence (Yorkville) is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Blackberry Creek confluence (Yorkville) (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | North Aurora Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & night | North Aurora Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | North Aurora Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at Blackberry Creek confluence (Yorkville). It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Blackberry Creek confluence (Yorkville) (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Elgin dam tailrace (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Elgin dam tailrace (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Elgin dam tailrace (8 ft) |
Come spring, look for flathead catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 10 ft. Start at Tailout eddy (mile 18.9). It's an eddy pocket holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 18.9) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 18.9) (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 18.9) (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 18.9) (6 ft) |
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 10 ft, and they winter in 3 to 10 ft. Blackberry Creek confluence (Yorkville) is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring white bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Blackberry Creek confluence (Yorkville) (5 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | North Aurora Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | North Aurora Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | North Aurora Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Blackberry Creek confluence (Yorkville): an inflow / creek mouth around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Blackberry Creek confluence (Yorkville) (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 30.4) (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 30.4) (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 30.4) (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Fox River also holds common carp (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Fox River carries 31 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at North Aurora Dam tailrace, about 9 ft down.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Fox River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Fox River is about 10 ft (3 m) deep 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.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, flathead catfish, white bass, northern pike, common carp on Fox River.
North Aurora riffles is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 5 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.
For smallmouth 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.
Fishing on Fox River is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Des Plaines River 23 mi · Illinois Waterway - Brandon Road Pool 25 mi · Shabbona Lake 27 mi · Tampier Lake 27 mi · Illinois Waterway - Dresden Island Pool 29 mi · Heidecke Lake 32 mi · Boulder Lake 32 mi · Diamond Lake 34 mi · McCullom Lake 36 mi · Long Lake 39 mi · Cedar Lake 42 mi · Sand Lake 43 mi
See how Fox River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best white bass lakes in Illinois · best northern pike lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.