Gizzard Shad in Illinois
IDNR limits, the state record and Illinois waters for gizzard shad.
- no statewide rowlimit
- 3 lbs 2.2 ozrecord
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Illinois gizzard shad in brief
None of the 13 statewide rows in the 2026 IDNR digest is written for gizzard shad. A water's own digest entry may still set gear or harvest rules that reach it.
At 3 lbs 2.2 oz, the bow and arrow record came from Mississippi River – Pool 13 (2016). Mississippi River, Pool 13 lead the 1 Illinois water pages that name it.
Illinois state-record gizzard shad
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bow and arrow | 3 lbs 2.2 oz | Mississippi River – Pool 13 | Jo Daviess County | May 5, 2016 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
Illinois lakes and rivers where gizzard shad turn up
Illinois rivers worth a cast for gizzard shad
- Mississippi River, Pool 13Carroll County
IDNR IFishIllinois outlook ratings and species lists, the IDNR stocking table and IDNR record waters; largest waters first.
How the shoreline by Gizzard Shad looks
Photo: Alaina McDavid, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Robert Lampros, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Charles Fulton, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Richie Diesterheft, CC BY-SA 2.0
Short Illinois answers on gizzard shad
How many gizzard shad can go on an Illinois stringer?
The 2026 digest prints no statewide row for it, so check the site-specific entry for your water.
Which Illinois lake or river produced the top gizzard shad?
Mississippi River – Pool 13 produced it in 2016: 3 lbs 2.2 oz. The angler is not printed.
Which Illinois waters hold gizzard shad?
It appears on 1 pages, Mississippi River, Pool 13 among them.
Is the gizzard shad rule the same on every Illinois water?
No entry changes its rule by name, but all-fish entries still count.
Which Illinois waters got gizzard shad from IDNR?
IDNR listed no stocking of it from 2021 to 2026.
Must a visitor buy a license for Illinois gizzard shad?
Anglers 16 and older carry an Illinois fishing license ($15 a year for residents, $31.50 for nonresidents in 2026).
Does the Illinois gizzard shad record list count bow fish?
Two: hook and line, and bow and arrow. For it, IDNR shows 1 record row.
Where do IDNR biologists rate gizzard shad?
The IDNR outlooks on these lake pages give it no grade.
Plan an Illinois trip for gizzard shad
Open a lake or river above for launches and local rules.