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Congerville to the Illinois River mouth. A wild, sandy-run smallmouth stream. The river tops out around 8 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 1,973 acres, worked by 95.6 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 15.4) — 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 28.2 mi end to end and 7.7 mi across at its widest. It sits in Tazewell County. Evergreen Lake sits 25 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 8 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 8 ft. The chart's best answer is Gravel riffles near Mackinaw — rock pile, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel riffles near Mackinaw (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel riffles near Mackinaw (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel riffles near Mackinaw (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 35.9) (4 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring channel catfish on Mackinaw River hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 6 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 5.6) (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) |
In spring, rock bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Gravel riffles near Mackinaw is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring rock bass. Time it for the evening. You won't need more than a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel riffles near Mackinaw (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Gravel riffles near Mackinaw (4 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Gravel riffles near Mackinaw (4 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Gravel riffles near Mackinaw (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Spring flathead catfish on Mackinaw River hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Tailout eddy (mile 5.6) — eddy pocket, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 5.6) (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 5.6) (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 5.6) (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 5.6) (4 ft) |
Spring longnose gar on Mackinaw River hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) — creek channel, 6 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in midday and the evening. The summer box starts with a rope lure or a small white spinner.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Le Baube Lake Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Le Baube Lake Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 5.6) (4 ft) |
Mackinaw River carries 24 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Le Baube Lake Dam tailrace, about 7 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Mackinaw River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Mackinaw River is about 8 ft (2 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, channel catfish, rock bass, flathead catfish, longnose gar on Mackinaw River.
Gravel riffles near Mackinaw is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 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 Mackinaw 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.
Evergreen Lake 25 mi · Canton Lake 27 mi · Lake Bloomington 30 mi · Illinois River 37 mi · Dawson Lake 40 mi · Lake Clinton 44 mi · Anderson Lake 44 mi · Sangamon River 45 mi · Vermont Lake 54 mi · Lake Decatur 56 mi · Lake Springfield 57 mi · Lake Storey 58 mi
See how Mackinaw River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois · best flathead 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.