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Carlyle tailwater downstream to Fayetteville. Spring white bass stacks below the gates. The river tops out around 15 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 1,916 acres, worked by 104.8 miles of shoreline. A development index of 17.1 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Call it 28.8 mi long by 6.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Clinton County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Washington County Lake, is 19 mi to the southeast.
Spring puts white bass in skinny water — 2 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring white bass concentrate at Shoal Creek confluence, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoal Creek confluence (8 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Lake Joy Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Lake Joy Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Lake Joy Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shoal Creek confluence: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shoal Creek confluence (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) |
When the water first warms, flathead catfish slide up into 4 to 15 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 4 to 15 ft, winter 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Bottomland snags: a standing timber / brush around 10 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 | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Bottomland snags (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Bottomland snags (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 6.8) (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 6.8) (8 ft) |
In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 15 ft, and they winter in 5 to 15 ft. Carlyle Lake tailwater is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for spring blue catfish. Time it for early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dusk | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Lake Joy Dam tailrace (13 ft) |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 5 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at Bottomland snags. It's a standing timber / brush holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Bottomland snags (10 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Bottomland snags (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Bottomland snags: a standing timber / brush around 10 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Bottomland snags (10 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Bottomland snags (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Carlyle Lake tailwater (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Kaskaskia River also holds freshwater drum (4 to 15 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.
Count 25 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Carlyle Lake tailwater, sits near 14 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 Kaskaskia River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Kaskaskia River is about 15 ft (5 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 white bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, freshwater drum, common carp on Kaskaskia River.
Shoal Creek confluence is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For white 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 Kaskaskia 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.
Washington County Lake 19 mi · Carlyle Lake 22 mi · Baldwin Lake 25 mi · Centralia Reservoir 26 mi · Lake Centralia 31 mi · Rend Lake 43 mi · Forbes Lake 46 mi · Kinkaid Lake 47 mi · Lake Glenn Shoals 50 mi · Lake Murphysboro 50 mi · Lake Lou Yaeger 51 mi · Creve Coeur Lake 52 mi, MO
See how Kaskaskia River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best white bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish 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.