30 public waters in the Chicagoland region — 5 lakes/reservoirs and 25 rivers. Every one is public water fishable on an Illinois licence.
See every public fishing venue in Illinois on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond (2,539 acres) sits in Will, Grundy and Kankakee Counties, Illinois, managed by Public boat ramp. An IDNR-managed lake on a state fish and wildlife area (Sam Parr, Ramsey, Johnson Sauk Trail, Argyle, Sangchris, Forbes, Dolan, Mermet) — Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, Crappie and Channel Catfish, with Muskellunge or Walleye stocked in several. Managed for quality with length limits and boat-motor restrictions on many.
Heidecke Lake (1,913 acres) sits in Grundy County, Illinois, managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources. An Illinois power-plant cooling lake (Lake Sangchris, Coffeen Lake, Newton Lake, Powerton Lake, Clinton Power Station Lake, Baldwin Lake, Braidwood Lake, Heidecke Lake) — warm-water discharge keeps these fishing well into winter. Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, channel and Blue Catfish, Bluegill and Crappie.
In Marshall, Cook, Adams and 1 more county in Illinois, Goose Lake is a 1,407-acre lake, managed by Public boat ramp. An IDNR-managed lake on a state fish and wildlife area (Sam Parr, Ramsey, Johnson Sauk Trail, Argyle, Sangchris, Forbes, Dolan, Mermet) — Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, Crappie and Channel Catfish, with Muskellunge or Walleye stocked in several. Managed for quality with length limits and boat-motor restrictions on many.
In Will and Grundy Counties, Illinois, Dresden Cooling Lake is a 1,106-acre lake, managed by Public boat ramp. An IDNR-managed lake on a state fish and wildlife area (Sam Parr, Ramsey, Johnson Sauk Trail, Argyle, Sangchris, Forbes, Dolan, Mermet) — Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, Crappie and Channel Catfish, with Muskellunge or Walleye stocked in several. Managed for quality with length limits and boat-motor restrictions on many.
Dresden Island Pool (142 acres) sits in Grundy County, Illinois, managed by Public boat ramp. Lakes and reservoirs across this region typically hold walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and panfish such as bluegill, crappie and pumpkinseed, with muskellunge present in some larger lakes -- species commonly documented across the region's public waters by state wildlife agencies.
Des Plaines River runs 180 km through Cook, Lake, Will and 2 more counties in Illinois: A central-Illinois prairie river (the Sangamon, Vermilion, Embarras, Mackinaw, Spoon, La Moine) — smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Rock Bass, Bluegill, Carp and Drum. Muddy, meandering, agricultural-belt water.
The Kankakee River in northeastern Illinois — Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye and Channel Catfish in clear, gravelly water flowing out of the old Grand Kankakee Marsh.
West Fork Mazon River flows through Grundy and Livingston Counties, Illinois. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Grundy and LaSalle Counties, Illinois — Waupecan Creek is a 41 km stream: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Mazon River runs 46 km through Grundy County, Illinois: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Grundy and Livingston Counties, Illinois — Johnny Run is a 34 km stream: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Hog Run runs 30 km through Grundy and LaSalle Counties, Illinois: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Grundy and Livingston Counties, Illinois — Murray Slough is a 36 km stream: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
In Grundy and LaSalle Counties, Illinois, Nettle Creek is a 20 km river or creek. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
In Grundy and LaSalle Counties, Illinois, Bills Run is a 34 km river or creek. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Gooseberry Creek (26 km) flows through Livingston and Grundy Counties, Illinois. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Aux Sable Creek runs 34 km through Grundy and Kendall Counties, Illinois: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Reddick Run (22 km) flows through Kankakee, Grundy and Livingston Counties, Illinois. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
In Kankakee and Grundy Counties, Illinois, Granary Creek is a 20 km river or creek. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
East Fork Nettle Creek runs 19 km through Grundy and Kendall Counties, Illinois: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Kendall and Grundy Counties, Illinois — Valley Run is a 17 km stream: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
In Grundy and Kendall Counties, Illinois, Saratoga Creek is a 15 km river or creek. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
In Grundy County, Illinois, Thunder Creek is a 9 km river or creek. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
In LaSalle and Grundy Counties, Illinois, Armstrong Run is a 13 km river or creek. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
In Grundy and Livingston Counties, Illinois, Woods Run is a 15 km river or creek. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
East Fork Mazon River (14 km) flows through Grundy and Livingston Counties, Illinois. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
In Grundy and LaSalle Counties, Illinois, Long Point Creek is a 8 km river or creek. A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Claypool Ditch runs 9 km through Grundy and Will Counties, Illinois: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Walley Run runs 10 km through Grundy and Kendall Counties, Illinois: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
O'Brien Run runs 8 km through Grundy County, Illinois: A warmwater Illinois river or large creek — largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Carp and Drum. Wade or paddle; access at IDNR sites, county parks and bridges.
Across its mapped waters, Grundy County holds 19 species on PiscaMaps, including Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass, Flathead Catfish, Rock Bass, Common Carp and Freshwater Drum.
Ramps, put-ins and species for every water — plus the carp layer no other US app has.
Open the Illinois map Join PiscaMapsOne Illinois Department of Natural Resources fishing licence covers every public water in the state, the Corps and IDNR reservoirs included — resident annual about $16, non-resident annual about $32, with non-resident 1-day and 5-day options. Illinois has no trout stamp requirement for the great majority of its water. Illinois residents 65 and older, and anyone under 16, need no licence. Buy at dnr.illinois.gov.