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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
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Lockport dam to the Brandon Road dam through Joliet. The Des Plaines navigation pool, catfish, sauger and white bass in urban current. The river tops out around 25 ft. The depth chart comes from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The outline encloses 211 acres, worked by 9.1 miles of shoreline. A development index of 4.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 89% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 4.4 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. It sits in Will County. If the bite dies, Illinois Waterway - Dresden Island Pool is 8 mi to the southwest.
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 Lockport tailrace — creek channel, 4 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 | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Lockport tailrace (4 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 Lockport tailrace first on the milk run — a creek channel near 4 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 | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Lockport tailrace (4 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: Lockport tailrace, a creek channel in the 4 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 | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Joliet riverfront — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Joliet riverfront (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Joliet channel point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Joliet channel point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Brandon Road approach hump (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Illinois Waterway - Brandon Road Pool hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. Put Lockport tailrace rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Lockport tailrace rock (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Brandon Road approach hump (12 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Joliet channel point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Brandon Road approach hump (12 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
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 Brandon Road approach hump, an offshore hump in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in summer. 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 | Lockport tailrace (4 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Brandon Road approach hump (12 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Joliet channel point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Brandon Road approach hump (12 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Illinois Waterway - Brandon Road Pool also holds sauger (8 to 25 ft in summer), freshwater drum (7 to 25 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Brandon Road approach hump at roughly 12 ft.
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 Waterway - Brandon Road Pool specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Illinois Waterway - Brandon Road Pool is about 25 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, sauger, freshwater drum, common carp on Illinois Waterway - Brandon Road Pool.
Joliet riverfront is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For channel catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark 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 Waterway - Brandon Road Pool 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.
Illinois Waterway - Dresden Island Pool 8 mi · Tampier Lake 12 mi · Des Plaines River 13 mi · Heidecke Lake 18 mi · Fox River 25 mi · Kankakee River 26 mi · Powder Horn Lake 30 mi · Cedar Lake 36 mi, IN · Rosser Park Pond 40 mi, IN · Shabbona Lake 43 mi · J.C. Murphey Lake 49 mi, IN · Diamond Lake 49 mi
See how Illinois Waterway - Brandon Road Pool stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best smallmouth bass 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. Bathymetry credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 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.