Largemouth Bass in Illinois
Where largemouth bass swim in Illinois, and what may be kept.
- 6 a daylimit
- 13 lbs 1 ozrecord
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Sizing up Illinois largemouth bass
The statewide digest line that governs largemouth bass is titled "Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass". First words of the row: "Daily harvest limit is 6 Bass, either singly or in the aggregate, except as specified under Site Specific Regulations." A capped row like that is filled by its fish combined.
In 1976, Stone Quarry Lake produced the hook and line record of 13 lbs 1 oz. 322 pages across Illinois carry it, Carlyle Lake, Rend Lake and Fox Chain O' Lakes among them. The digest changes its rule on 10 waters, Chautauqua Lake North & South Pools and Dongola City Reservoir among them. IDNR hatcheries put 5,475,249 into 94 waters, per the stocking table.
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| Row as printed | Daily | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass | 6 (combined) | no statewide size limit |
Daily harvest limit is 6 Bass, either singly or in the aggregate, except as specified under Site Specific Regulations. In rivers and streams and their tributaries statewide, except for the Mississippi, Ohio (including Golconda Marina), and Wabash Rivers, the daily harvest can contain no more than 3 Smallmouth Bass. In rivers and streams and their tributaries statewide, except for the Mississippi, Ohio (including the Golconda Marina), Wabash and Illinois Rivers, Calumet River, Lake Calumet Connecting Channel, Calumet Sag Channel and navigable portions of the Grand Calumet River and Little Calumet River, all Smallmouth Bass must be immediately released between April 1 and June 15. There is no statewide size limit.
IDNR 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR) page 10, read November 4, 2026.
Illinois Lake Michigan rules for largemouth bass
| Species as printed | Rule as printed |
|---|---|
| Large or Smallmouth Bass | 21 inch Minimum Length Limit; 1 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
Lake Michigan rules and stamps
IDNR Lake Michigan fishing page and Lake Michigan entry of the 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR), read November 4, 2026.
Where a digest entry changes the largemouth bass rule
| Water as printed | County | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua Lake North & South Pools | Mason | Largemouth Bass | 12 inch Minimum Length Limit |
| Dongola City Reservoir | Union | Largemouth Bass | 18 inch Minimum Length Limit; 1 Fish Daily Harvest Limit NOTE: EXPLANATIONS FOR NUMBERS CONTAINED IN PARENTHESIS ARE FOUND ON PAGE 12 |
| Giant City State Park Ponds | Jackson, Union | Largemouth Bass | 15 inch Minimum Length Limit |
| Kane County Forest Preserve District Lakes and Ponds | Kane | Largemouth Bass | Protected Slot Length Limit with no possession of Fish greater than or equal to 14 inches and less than 18 inches; 4 Fish Daily Harvest Limit with no more than 1 Fish greater than or equal to 18 inches and 3 Fish less than 14 inches |
| Kinmundy Reservoir | Marion | Largemouth Bass | 15 inch Minimum Length Limit KISHWAUKEE RIVER AND SOUTH BRANCH OF KISHWAUKEE RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES State of Illinois • Multiple |
| Pine Lake | Will | Largemouth Bass | 15 inch Minimum Length Limit |
| Pittsfield Lake Ball Park Pond | Pike | Largemouth Bass | 15 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Pocahontas Park Ponds | Bond | Largemouth Bass | 15 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Siloam Springs Family Fishing Pond | Adams | Largemouth Bass | 15 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| St. Anne Village Pond | Kankakee | Largemouth Bass | 15 inch Minimum Length Limit |
Site-specific regulations as printed in the 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR), read November 4, 2026.
Heaviest largemouth bass on the Illinois list
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 13 lbs 1 oz | Stone Quarry Lake | Lake County | February 15, 1976 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
largemouth bass released into Illinois water
| Year | Water as listed | Number | Size class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Crab Orchard Lake | 82,047 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | LaSalle Cooling Lake | 55,187 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Braidwood Lake | 39,182 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Baldwin Lake | 28,302 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Governor Bond Lake | 20,164 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Lou Yeager, Lake | 19,086 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Shabbona Lake | 17,757 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Illinois River – LaGrange Pool | 16,969 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Glenn Shoals, Lake | 15,016 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Silver Lake (Highland) | 13,173 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Taylorville, Lake | 12,045 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Waverly Lake | 11,940 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Johnson Sauk Trail Lake | 11,888 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Fox Chain O' Lakes | 11,716 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
IDNR fish stocking table on ifishillinois.org (year, water, species, size class and number as listed; no stocking dates published), read November 4, 2026.
IDNR outlook grades for largemouth bass
| Lake | IDNR rating | County |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton Lake | Excellent | DeWitt County |
| Braidwood Lake | Excellent | Will County |
| Cedar Lake (Jackson) | Excellent | Jackson County |
| Hennepin-Hopper Lakes | Excellent | Putnam County |
| Coffeen Lake | Excellent | Montgomery County |
| Mill Creek Lake | Excellent | Clark County |
| Lake Jacksonville | Excellent | Morgan County |
| Super Lake (Pyramid State Park) | Excellent | Perry County |
| Washington County Lake | Excellent | Washington County |
| Mauvaise Terre Lake | Excellent | Morgan County |
| Gillespie New City Lake | Excellent | Macoupin County |
| Schuy-Rush Lake | Excellent | Schuyler County |
| Pinckneyville City Lake | Excellent | Perry County |
| Paris East Lake | Excellent | Edgar County |
| Pierce Lake | Excellent | Winnebago County |
| Waverly Lake | Excellent | Morgan County |
| Argyle Lake | Excellent | McDonough County |
| Homer Lake (CCFPD) | Excellent | Champaign County |
| Dolan Lake | Excellent | Hamilton County |
| Greenfield City Lake | Excellent | Greene County |
IDNR fishing outlook ratings and survey notes as printed on the IFishIllinois page, read November 4, 2026.
Prairie State pages naming largemouth bass
Impounded Illinois water holding largemouth bass
- Carlyle Lake24,580 acres
- Rend Lake18,900 acres
- Fox Chain O' Lakes7,110 acres
- Crab Orchard Lake6,965 acres
- Clinton Lake4,895 acres
- Thompson Lake (Emiquon)4,000 acres
- Lake Springfield3,866 acres
- Lake Decatur2,905 acres
- Kinkaid Lake2,750 acres
- Braidwood LakeWill County
- LaSalle Cooling Lake2,058 acres
- Baldwin Lake2,018 acres
- Heidecke Lake1,955 acres
- Horseshoe Lake (Alexander)1,890 acres
- Cedar Lake (Jackson)1,750 acres
- Newton Lake1,750 acres
- Powerton Lake1,426 acres
- Rice Lake1,383 acres
- Lake Taylorville1,286 acres
- Lake Lou Yeager1,268 acres
- Hennepin-Hopper LakesPutnam County
- Anderson LakeFulton County
- Coffeen Lake1,102 acres
- Lake Glenn Shoals1,085 acres
Current with largemouth bass
- Kaskaskia RiverDouglas County
- Illinois River, Alton PoolMorgan County
- Ohio River, Smithland PoolGallatin County
- Illinois River, LaGrange PoolPeoria County
- Illinois River, Peoria PoolMarshall County
- Illinois River, Starved Rock PoolLaSalle County
- Mississippi River, Pool 13Carroll County
- Mississippi River, Pool 12Jo Daviess County
- Mississippi River, Pool 14Rock Island County
- Mississippi River, Pool 15Rock Island County
- Mississippi River, Pool 16Rock Island County
- Mississippi River, Pool 17Mercer County
IDNR IFishIllinois outlook ratings and species lists, the IDNR stocking table and IDNR record waters; largest waters first.
Illinois fish close to largemouth bass
- Smallmouth Bass6 a day
- Spotted Bass6 a day
- Hybrid Striped Bassno limit under 17
- Rock Bassno daily cap
- Striped Bassno limit under 17
- White Bassno limit under 17
- Yellow Bassno limit under 17
Camera views of the water by Largemouth Bass
Photo: Richie Diesterheft, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Robert Lampros, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: uptowner, CC BY 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Illinois anglers ask about largemouth bass
How many largemouth bass may I keep in Illinois?
IDNR prints 6 combined a day, with no statewide size limit. Site-specific entries can be stricter on a given water. Away from the big boundary rivers, the row holds smallmouth to 3 a day and to release only from April 1 to June 15.
How heavy is the Illinois largemouth bass record?
13 lbs 1 oz, landed at Stone Quarry Lake in 1976. The list names no angler.
Where do largemouth bass live in Illinois?
Try Carlyle Lake, Rend Lake and Fox Chain O' Lakes, out of 322.
Are there site-specific rules for largemouth bass?
Chautauqua Lake North & South Pools and others, 10 waters in all.
Do Illinois hatcheries raise largemouth bass?
Yes: 5,475,249 across 94 waters in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Is one IDNR license enough for largemouth bass?
Anglers 16 and older carry an Illinois fishing license ($15 a year for residents, $31.50 for nonresidents in 2026). The digest also requires the $6.50 Salmon Stamp to take salmon or trout in Lake Michigan.
Which record divisions does IDNR keep for largemouth bass?
The list has a hook and line side and a bow and arrow side. It has 1 record row.
Where does IDNR rate largemouth bass best?
Clinton Lake shows excellent; 286 lakes carry a grade.
Go after Illinois largemouth bass
Pick one of those Illinois waters and its page lays out the launches.