When fishing for walleye in Illinois you will find that a number of lakes, rivers and reservoirs are available where you can find this particular species of fish. The Kankakee River is one of the most well-known for catching walleyes. There are several lakes where you can go to fish for walleye in Illinois such as Lake Clinton, Lake Shelbyville and Lake Michigan to name a few. The Carlyle Lake and Kinkaid Lake are also popular choices where many anglers like to try their hand at catching this elusive fish. Walleyes prefer the cold deep waters that these areas have to offer.



Since the opening of the Jake Wolf Hatchery, walleyes have become more abundant than ever in the history of Illinois. There are plenty of walleyes being found in areas where they use to be uncommon. This is great for the anglers that live in this area making it easier for them to go after this exciting and subtle species. It is also great for visitors that love to come to Illinois and fish.

The Fox Chain-O-Lakes is designed by a natural chain of fifteen lakes that are located in the northeast part of Illinois. You will find that the walleye swim in every one of these lakes, although you will have better luck fishing in some of them than with others

You can check with the Department of Natural Resources to get a better idea of where the most walleyes are located in this area.

Although you can find a lot more walleye in the lakes of Illinois today than in the past, you still need to know which techniques work the best if you want to catch your limit of walleyes. Below are some techniques for catching walleyes in Illinois that can help you have a great adventure that you can talk about for many years.

Techniques for Catching Walleyes in Illinois

Now that it is easier than ever to find locations in Illinois that are filled with the walleye, you need to know the best techniques for catching them in this area. It is recommended that you use live bait, crawfish, spoons, small spinner bait, crankbaits and plastic worms to fish for walleye in Illinois. These will help you get the best results for your time and effort.

How you catch walleyes in Illinois will partly depend on the time of year you are fishing. From about May to the middle of summer it's pretty simple. This is the time that the walleyes are feeding and all you really need to do is locate the area where they are spanning. Normally, when there is little light shining on the water you will find the walleye about six feet deep in the water. In bright sunny areas they tend to go deeper and can be found around twelve feet.

The best places to find them will be around inlets and around the breaklines near the banks. They also tend to stay around the shoreline, in grass, around trees or branches, large rocks and any other type of natural formed covering. In the spring you will need to use small jigs, crankbait and plastic worms to get the best results. The same is true for the summer months but you can also get some really good results with lures that resembles crawfish. This time of year the walleye are in search of food and this makes it easier to catch them than normally.