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Starved Rock tailrace to Peoria. The Midwest's famous sauger run, plus white bass and big river cats. The river tops out around 25 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Start shallow in spring: sauger sit in 4 to 18 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Vermilion River confluence (LaSalle), an inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for sauger in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Vermilion River confluence (LaSalle) (12 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Starved Rock tailrace (22 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Starved Rock tailrace (22 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Starved Rock tailrace (22 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Vermilion River confluence (LaSalle), an inflow / creek mouth in the 12 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Vermilion River confluence (LaSalle) (12 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Starved Rock Dam tailrace (21 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & night | Starved Rock Dam tailrace (21 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Starved Rock Dam tailrace (21 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Vermilion River confluence (LaSalle), an inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Vermilion River confluence (LaSalle) (12 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Starved Rock Dam tailrace (21 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 14.9) (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Starved Rock Dam tailrace (21 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Vermilion River confluence (LaSalle) — inflow / creek mouth, 12 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Vermilion River confluence (LaSalle) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Starved Rock tailrace (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Starved Rock tailrace (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Starved Rock tailrace (22 ft) |
Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 25 ft. Put Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) first on the milk run — an eddy pocket near 14 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (14 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (14 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: blue catfish in 5 to 25 ft. The depth story barely changes: 6 to 25 ft through summer, 8 to 25 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Starved Rock tailrace, a creek channel in the 22 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Starved Rock tailrace (22 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Starved Rock tailrace (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Starved Rock tailrace (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Starved Rock Dam tailrace (21 ft) |
Illinois River also holds freshwater drum (7 to 25 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 34 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Starved Rock tailrace, sits near 22 ft.
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 Illinois River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Illinois River is about 25 ft (8 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 sauger, walleye, white bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, largemouth bass, white bass & hybrids on Illinois River.
Vermilion River confluence (LaSalle) is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for sauger in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For sauger, 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 Illinois 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.
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See how Illinois River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best white bass lakes in Illinois · best sauger 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.