Sauger in Illinois
Daily limit, record and water pages for Illinois sauger.
- 6 a daylimit
- 5 lbs 12.5 ozrecord
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sauger in the Prairie State
IDNR lists sauger under the digest row "Walleye, Sauger, or their Hybrid". As printed, it starts: "All Walleye, Sauger, or their hybrid (Saugeye) taken must be 14" in total length or longer, except in the Mississippi River, Wabash River, or except as specified under Site Specific Regulations." Any cap on that row covers its fish in the aggregate.
The heaviest on the IDNR hook and line list weighed 5 lbs 12.5 oz: Mississippi River, 1967. Of 11 Illinois pages listing it, the largest are Carlyle Lake, Lake Shelbyville and Lake Taylorville. Local digest entries for 28 waters mention it, Beck Lake and Buffalo Prairie Pheasant Habitat Area Lakes & Ponds included. The IDNR stocking table lists 44,942,193 of them across 9 waters.
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| Row as printed | Daily | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye, Sauger, or their Hybrid | 6 (combined) | 14 inches |
All Walleye, Sauger, or their hybrid (Saugeye) taken must be 14" in total length or longer, except in the Mississippi River, Wabash River, or except as specified under Site Specific Regulations. Daily harvest limit is 6 Walleye, Sauger, or their hybrid, either singly or in the aggregate, except as specified under Site Specific Regulations.
IDNR 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR) page 10, read November 4, 2026.
Illinois waters with their own sauger wording
| Water as printed | County | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beck Lake | Cook | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 18 inch Minimum Length Limit; 6 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Buffalo Prairie Pheasant Habitat Area Lakes & Ponds | Knox | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Busse Lake | Cook | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 18 inch Minimum Length Limit; 6 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Cook Co. Forest Preserve District Lakes | Cook | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 18 inch Minimum Length Limit; 6 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Dawson Lake & Park Ponds | McLean | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 15 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit with no more than 1 Fish greater than or equal to 20 inches |
| Des Plaines River Basin | Cook | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 18 inch Minimum Length Limit; 1 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Douglas Park Lagoon | Cook | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 16 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Evergreen Lake | McLean | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 18 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Fox Chain O’Lakes | Lake, McHenry | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 14 inch Minimum Length Limit; Protected Slot Length Limit with no possession of Fish greater than or equal to 18 inches and less than 24 inches; 4 Fish Daily Harvest Limit with no more than 1 Fish greater than or equal to 24 inches |
| Gages Lake | Lake | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 16 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Heidecke Lake | Grundy | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 16 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Hennepin-Hopper Lakes | Putnam | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 18 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Iroquois & Kankakee Rivers and Their Tributaries | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 14 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit with no more than 1 Fish greater than or equal to 18 inches | |
| Kankakee & Iroquois Rivers and Their Tributaries | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 14 inch Minimum Length Limit; 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit with no more than 1 Fish greater than or equal to 18 inches | |
| Lake County Forest Preserve District Lakes | Lake | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 16 inch Minimum Length Limit; 6 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Lake Storey | Knox | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 3 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Mississippi River (Between IL & IA) | Walleye or Sauger | 6 Fish Daily Harvest Limit with no more than 1 Fish greater than or equal to 27 inches | |
| Mississippi River (Between IL & MO) | Walleye or Sauger | 8 Fish Daily Harvest Limit | |
| Monster Lake | Kankakee | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 14 inch Minimum Length Limit; Protected Slot Length Limit with no possession of Fish greater than or equal to 18 inches and less than 24 inches; 4 Fish Daily Harvest Limit with no more than 1 Fish greater than or equal to 24 inches |
| Ohio River (Between IL & KY) | Walleye, Sauger, or Hybrid Walleye | 14 inch Minimum Length Limit; 6 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
Site-specific regulations as printed in the 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR), read November 4, 2026.
sauger in the IDNR record book
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 5 lbs 12.5 oz | Mississippi River | Jo Daviess County | July 30, 1967 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
Stocking table rows for sauger
| Year | Water as listed | Number | Size class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Illinois River – Peoria Pool | 4,799,000 | Not Specified |
| 2026 | Illinois River – Marseilles Pool | 1,293,000 | Not Specified |
| 2026 | Illinois River – Starved Rock Pool | 300,000 | Not Specified |
| 2026 | Illinois River – Peoria Pool | 142,525 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Illinois River – Starved Rock Pool | 78,213 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Illinois River – Marseilles Pool | 55,575 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Des Plaines River | 54,254 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Kaskaskia River | 44,140 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Hennepin Feedr Canl | 28,627 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2026 | Beaver Lake – PRKFWA | 19,951 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2025 | Illinois River – Peoria Pool | 7,999,000 | Not Specified |
| 2025 | Illinois River – Starved Rock Pool | 1,835,000 | Not Specified |
| 2025 | Des Plaines River | 1,500,000 | Not Specified |
| 2025 | Illinois River – Marseilles Pool | 952,000 | Not Specified |
IDNR fish stocking table on ifishillinois.org (year, water, species, size class and number as listed; no stocking dates published), read November 4, 2026.
How IDNR biologists grade sauger lake by lake
| Lake | IDNR rating | County |
|---|---|---|
| Carlyle Lake | Fair | Bond County |
| Beaver Lake (PRKFWA) | Fair | St. Clair County |
| Lake Taylorville | Poor | Christian County |
| Lake Shelbyville | Very Good | Moultrie County |
IDNR fishing outlook ratings and survey notes as printed on the IFishIllinois page, read November 4, 2026.
Where Illinois sauger show up
Illinois lakes listing sauger
- Carlyle Lake24,580 acres
- Lake Shelbyville11,100 acres
- Lake Taylorville1,286 acres
- Silver Lake (Highland)550 acres
- Beaver Lake (PRKFWA)St. Clair County
Illinois rivers listing sauger
- Des Plaines RiverCook County
- Kaskaskia RiverDouglas County
- Illinois River, Alton PoolMorgan County
- Illinois River, Marseilles PoolGrundy County
- Illinois River, Peoria PoolMarshall County
- Illinois River, Starved Rock PoolLaSalle County
IDNR IFishIllinois outlook ratings and species lists, the IDNR stocking table and IDNR record waters; largest waters first.
Lakes and river bends close to Sauger, in pictures
Photo: Richie Diesterheft, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0
sauger in Illinois: replies for anglers
What daily take of sauger does Illinois permit?
Daily: 6 combined a day. Length: 14 inches. Some waters print their own, stricter wording.
What is the Illinois record sauger?
IDNR lists 5 lbs 12.5 oz, Mississippi River, 1967. IDNR prints no angler name.
Which Illinois lakes list sauger?
11 Illinois pages, Carlyle Lake, Lake Shelbyville and Lake Taylorville first.
Where does the sauger rule change in Illinois?
Yes, on 28 waters, for example Beck Lake.
How many sauger did IDNR stock?
Yes, 44,942,193 into 9 waters during 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Which IDNR license lets me keep sauger?
Anglers 16 and older carry an Illinois fishing license ($15 a year for residents, $31.50 for nonresidents in 2026).
Which IDNR list would a record sauger go on?
IDNR keeps a hook and line division and a bow and arrow division. IDNR has 1 record row under this fish.
Which Illinois lakes does IDNR rate highly for sauger?
Top of the list: Carlyle Lake, fair, among 4 graded lakes.
Pick a Prairie State lake for sauger
The waters above each show access and limits.