Fishing Report For Chain O' Lakes, IL

By Rick Seaman

April 17, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Fox Chain O' Lakes Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Boat Launch Ramps
Marinas
Fishing License
Map
Contact Info

Fishing Report Chain O' Lakes, IL

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Chain O' Lakes, IL

Largemouth Bass

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

With several lakes to fish in the Chain O' Lakes, and lots of fish in all of them, this is an ideal setting for bass tournaments. Numerous are held annually, with lots of quality bass weighed in. The bass are shallow now and feeling the spawning urge. They are being caught in pockets and around docks, pretty much across all the lakes in the chain. A wide variety of lures are catching nice largemouth bass here. Many tournament anglers are throwing vibrating jigs, with various plastic creature trailers, as one of their primary baits. Stick worms, rigged wacky style, often often entice bites when bass are being finicky. Jerkbaits and crankbaits are also consistent producers here.

Walleye

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good

Walleye are the top prize in the Chain O' Lakes, and you can catch them year round. Many walleye in the 18" to 25" range are caught with regularity. This winter, ice fishing for walleye produced good numbers, and reports of quite a few large walleye. After ice-out, Spring and Fall are the best season for catching walleye. As the ice started melting, walleye migrated into the shallows, especially rocky areas which warm first. They will spawn in Spring, then move to flats, shoals, bays, and ledges off shore. Throughout Summer, early in the morning and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye, as they move shallow to feed. They primarily feed on threadfin and gizzard shad, as well as perch and other small fish, close to the bottom. Live bait, blade baits, jigs, swimbaits and spoons are good choices. Local anglers have reported catching walleye using spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners while trolling in recent years.

Yellow Perch

Current Report: Very Good
Outlook: Very Good

Ice fishing for yellow perch this Winter produced some really nice catches. They are fat, and plentiful. Jigs tipped with grubs, worms, prepared baits or minnows are catching lots of perch. The population of yellow perch residing here, provide a steady food source for larger, predator fish, plus they provide fun fishing for anglers. For those who love a good fish fry, perch are excellent. Look for small schools of perch around weedy areas in 5' to 10' of water, except in Summer when they move slightly deeper outside these same areas.

Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, bluegill, green sunfish, warmouth, muskie and northern pike at Fox Chain O' Lakes in Illinois.

Chain O' Lakes comprises fifteen lakes covering 7,100 surface acres, with 488 miles of shoreline. There are plenty of boat docks and aquatic vegetation to support healthy populations of fish. These lakes are home to catfish, bass, bluegill, northern pike, crappie, walleye and muskie. Plenty of shoreline is easily accessible for fishing from the bank.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Marinas

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Fishing License

Click here for a Illinois Fishing License.

Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".