Where to fish

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Where to fish

  • Forecast
  • Catches

Mine

  • Favorites
ForecastCatchesFavorites
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© 2026·AI-powered bite forecast
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United States / Illinois

Illinois — bite forecast

Loading map…
Towns and settlements (15)
AuroraBethaltoBloomingtonChampaignChicagoEast Saint LouisElginJolietNapervillePeoriaQuincyRockfordSpringfieldUrbanaWaukegan
Rivers (226)
Chicago RiverEmbarras RiverFarm CreekFox RiverKaskaskia RiverKent CreekLittle Wabash RiverMississippi RiverNorth Branch Chicago RiverRock RiverSangamon RiverSouth Branch Chicago RiverSugar CreekWaukegan RiverWest Branch DuPage River

211 more — find yours by name.

Water bodies (1675)
Burnham Harbor North BasinBurnham Harbor South BasinCarlyle ReservoirCrystal LakeDuSable HarborMiller Park LakeMonroe HarborPeoria LakeQuarry LakeThe Confluence

1665 more — find yours by name.

Sea areas (4)
Cambria NeckDuck NeckPisgah BaySmith Bay

Best fishing days for the next week

  1. MondaySeptember 7weather-based forecast
    54/100medium activity

    Clear: 61–93 °F

Which fish are caught here

  • Largemouth bass75 catches
  • Walleye11 catches
  • Black crappie7 catches
  • Pike6 catches
  • White crappie5 catches

Catches

Recorded 129 catches here. Most commonly caught: Largemouth bass, Walleye, Black crappie. Peak season: year-round.

  • Bluegill — Heidecke Lake, May 05, 2019
    Bluegill
    Heidecke Lake
    68 °F4 mph
    May 05, 2019
  • Steelhead — Waukegan River, Oct 01, 2018
    2

Illinois — a region with a sea coast plus rivers and lakes. The region has 15 cities, 226 rivers, 1675 water bodies and 4 sea areas. We forecast the bite not only on rivers and lakes, but at sea as well. Species found here: rainbow trout, pike, carp, whitefish, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. A smart bite calendar — moon phase, atmospheric pressure, and weather combined into an hourly fish-activity forecast for the coming days.

TuesdaySeptember 8weather-based forecast
51/100medium activity

Clear: 70–102 °F

  • ThursdaySeptember 3weather-based forecast
    47/100medium activity

    Clear: 77–100 °F

  • Smallmouth bass4 catches
  • Flathead catfish4 catches
  • Bluegill4 catches
  • Yellow perch4 catches
  • Channel catfish2 catches
  • Rainbow trout1 catch
  • Steelhead1 catch
    • Steelhead
    Waukegan River
    Oct 01, 2018
  • Walleye
    Fox River
    39 °F18 mph
    Mar 28, 2021
  • Smallmouth bass
    Illinois, Will County
    41 °F9 mph
    Nov 11, 2020
  • Largemouth bass
    Crab Orchard Lake
    81 °F4 mph
    Jul 01, 2020
  • Smallmouth bass
    Lake of the Woods
    81 °F7 mph
    Jun 06, 2020
  • Black crappie, White crappie
    Crab Orchard Lake
    45 °F7 mph
    Apr 14, 2020
  • White crappie
    Crab Orchard Lake
    79 °F2 mph
    Apr 08, 2020

    • Bite calendar

    Aug 31 – Sep 6
    Mon
    Tue
    Wed
    Thu
    Fri
    Sat
    Sun
    Bite activity:highmediumlowslow
    Based on:weatherseasonal
    What is a bite calendar?

    Bite on rivers

    4 SepFriday, September 4

    Tap any fish to open its full forecast — the hours it bites, what it takes, and where it has been caught.

    0:0023:00
    • Coho salmon7/10
    • Lake trout6/10
    • Pike6/10
    • Smallmouth bass6/10
    • Steelhead6/10
    • White bass6/10
    • Yellow perch6/10
    • Black crappie5/10
    • Muskellunge5/10
    • Walleye5/10
    • White crappie5/10
    • Chinook salmon4/10
    • Largemouth bass4/10
    • Rainbow trout4/10
    • Whitefish4/10
    • Blue catfish3/10
    • Bluegill3/10
    • Carp3/10
    • Channel catfish3/10
    • Flathead catfish3/10
    Bite activity:highmediumlow
    How this forecast is calculated
    4 SepFriday, September 4
    +100°

    Partly cloudy · feels like +105°

    Low / high
    +78°…+101°
    Precipitation
    0.00 in
    Wind
    7 mph WSW
    Cloud cover
    20%
    Humidity
    35%
    Pressure
    29.96 inHg
    00:00+84°—7 mphsouth wind, 7 mph57%0%
    01:00+84°—7 mphsouthwest wind, 7 mph59%0%
    02:00+83°—6 mphsouthwest wind, 6 mph62%0%
    03:00+81°—5 mphsouthwest wind, 5 mph66%0%
    04:00+81°—6 mphsouthwest wind, 6 mph68%1%
    05:00+80°—6 mphsouthwest wind, 6 mph70%0%
    06:00+79°—4 mphsouthwest wind, 4 mph72%0%
    07:00+78°—4 mphsouthwest wind, 4 mph74%0%
    08:00+84°—8 mphsouthwest wind, 8 mph59%1%
    09:00+89°—9 mphwest wind, 9 mph50%0%
    10:00+94°—9 mphwest wind, 9 mph43%0%
    11:00+97°—8 mphwest wind, 8 mph38%0%
    12:00+100°—7 mphsouthwest wind, 7 mph35%20%
    13:00+100°—7 mphsouthwest wind, 7 mph33%32%
    14:00+101°—7 mphsouthwest wind, 7 mph32%39%
    15:00+101°—8 mphsouthwest wind, 8 mph30%16%
    16:00+101°—8 mphsouthwest wind, 8 mph29%3%
    17:00+100°—7 mphsouthwest wind, 7 mph30%8%
    18:00+98°—7 mphsouth wind, 7 mph35%13%
    19:00+91°—5 mphsouth wind, 5 mph44%5%
    20:00+86°—4 mphsoutheast wind, 4 mph47%0%
    21:00+86°—4 mphsoutheast wind, 4 mph45%43%
    22:00+85°—5 mphsoutheast wind, 5 mph46%100%
    23:00+82°—6 mphsoutheast wind, 6 mph51%10%
    +101°+90°+78°
    Weather throughout the day
    0:006:0012:0018:0023:00

    Sun and moon

    Friday, September 4
    The day: daylight and the hours the moon is above the horizon. Local time0:0012:0024:00
    DaylightMoon above the horizon
    Sunrise
    06:27
    Sunset
    19:21
    Day length
    12 h 54 min
    Sunshine hours
    11 h 55 min
    UV index
    6
    high
    Moon
    Last quarter
    Moonrise
    23:50
    Moonset
    14:50

    The day is 2 min shorter than yesterday.

    Sunshine hours count direct sun only — cloud cover cuts it, so it is shorter than daylight.

    Solunar feeding periods

    +14% in the windowFriday, September 4
    Feeding windows on the day scale, local time0:0012:0024:00
    Major periodsMinor periods
    • Major05:49–07:49Moon overhead
    • Minor14:20–15:20Moonset
    • Major18:20–20:20Moon underfoot
    • Minor23:20–00:00Moonrise

    The windows are set by the moon's transit and rise, and the forecast above already accounts for them: within these hours the bite score sits higher than across the rest of the day, while the day's overall level still comes from the catch-calibrated model.

    What are solunar periods?

    Recommendations

    Tactics

    Work the cover — snags, weed edges, hole entrances; retrieve the lure with pauses.

    Lures

    In clear water, natural colors work best: trolling spoon or spinner.

    Gear

    It's a hot day — a hat, sunglasses, and plenty of water are a must.