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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
17,062-acre lake in Franklin County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 31 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
On the chart, Rend Lake draws 18,311 acres inside 113 miles of shoreline, with 9 islands in the mix. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 6) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 77% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 10.4 mi with a 7.1-mi widest point. You'll find it in Franklin County. The nearest mapped water is Washington County Lake, 25 mi to the northwest.
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 31 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 9 to 31 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 26 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 9 to 31 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in fall. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 9 to 31 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 31 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for spotted bass tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 31 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 31 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 9 to 31 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Rend Lake also holds striped bass (9 to 31 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
22 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 26 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Rend Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Rend Lake is about 31 ft (9 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 bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, spotted bass, striped bass, white bass, white bass & hybrids on Rend Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For bluegill, 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 Rend Lake 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 25 mi · Crab Orchard Lake 28 mi · Centralia Reservoir 31 mi · Lake Centralia 31 mi · Lake Murphysboro 33 mi · Kinkaid Lake 34 mi · Devils Kitchen Lake 35 mi · Little Grassy Lake 35 mi · Sam Dale Lake 36 mi · Cedar Lake 38 mi · Kaskaskia River 43 mi · Dutchman Lake 43 mi
See how Rend Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best white bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill 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.