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Momence through Kankakee River State Park to Wilmington. Storied clear-water smallmouth river. The river tops out around 12 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The outline encloses 1,678 acres, worked by 76.5 miles of shoreline, broken up by 3 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 13.3) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. The basin spans about 27.2 mi end to end and 8.9 mi across at its widest. Kankakee County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Illinois Waterway - Dresden Island Pool, is 23 mi to the northwest.
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 12 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 12 ft. Start at State Park limestone ledges. It's a rock pile holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 12 ft | dawn & dusk | State Park limestone ledges (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | State Park limestone ledges (6 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | State Park limestone ledges (6 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 27.3) (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. Spring walleye concentrate at Iroquois River confluence (Aroma Park), a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. 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 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Iroquois River confluence (Aroma Park) (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Kankakee Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & night | Kankakee Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Kankakee Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 12 ft. Start at Iroquois River confluence (Aroma Park). It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 | Iroquois River confluence (Aroma Park) (8 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 27.3) (7 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 27.3) (7 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 27.3) (7 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 4 to 12 ft, winter 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Iroquois River confluence (Aroma Park): an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Iroquois River confluence (Aroma Park) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Kankakee dam tailrace (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | Kankakee dam tailrace (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Kankakee dam tailrace (10 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rock bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 12 ft before dropping to 4 to 12 ft for winter. The spot to know is State Park limestone ledges, a rock pile in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in spring. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | State Park limestone ledges (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | State Park limestone ledges (6 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | State Park limestone ledges (6 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | State Park limestone ledges (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Momence backwater snags: a standing timber / brush around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Momence backwater snags (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Momence backwater snags (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Kankakee dam tailrace (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Kankakee dam tailrace (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Kankakee River also holds common carp (2 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Kankakee River carries 23 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Kankakee dam tailrace, about 10 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 Kankakee River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Kankakee River is about 12 ft (4 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, northern pike, channel catfish, rock bass, largemouth bass, common carp on Kankakee River.
State Park limestone ledges is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Kankakee 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.
Illinois Waterway - Dresden Island Pool 23 mi · J.C. Murphey Lake 25 mi, IN · Heidecke Lake 26 mi · Illinois Waterway - Brandon Road Pool 26 mi · Cedar Lake 28 mi, IN · Tampier Lake 32 mi · Des Plaines River 35 mi · Powder Horn Lake 37 mi · Rosser Park Pond 41 mi, IN · Loomis Lake 50 mi, IN · Fox River 51 mi · Lake Michigan - Illinois and Indiana Shore 62 mi, IL/IN
See how Kankakee River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye 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.