Illinois fishing guide: species & cities
Explore all Illinois species evidence
111 species with Illinois source associations
State source evidence does not establish city-level presence, access or legal targeting.
- Alewife — Alosa pseudoharengus · anadromous
- Alligator Gar — Atractosteus spatula · freshwater
- American Eel — Anguilla rostrata · freshwater
- Atlantic Salmon — Salmo salar · freshwater
- Banded Darter — Etheostoma zonale · freshwater
- Bighead Carp — Hypophthalmichthys nobilis · freshwater
- Bigmouth Buffalo — Ictiobus cyprinellus · freshwater
- Black Buffalo — Ictiobus niger · freshwater
- Black Bullhead — Ameiurus melas · freshwater
- Black Crappie — Pomoxis nigromaculatus · freshwater
- Blackside Darter — Percina maculata · freshwater
- Blackstripe Topminnow — Fundulus notatus · freshwater
- Blue Catfish — Ictalurus furcatus · freshwater
- Blue Sucker — Cycleptus elongatus · freshwater
- Bluegill — Lepomis macrochirus · freshwater
- Bluntnose Minnow — Pimephales notatus · freshwater
- Bowfin — Amia calva · freshwater
- Brook Silverside — Labidesthes sicculus · freshwater
- Brook Stickleback — Culaea inconstans · freshwater
- Brook Trout — Salvelinus fontinalis · freshwater
- Brown Bullhead — Ameiurus nebulosus · freshwater
- Brown Trout — Salmo trutta · freshwater
- Bullhead Minnow — Pimephales vigilax · freshwater
- Burbot — Lota lota · freshwater
- Central Mudminnow — Umbra limi · freshwater
- Central Stoneroller — Campostoma anomalum · freshwater
- Chain Pickerel — Esox niger · freshwater
- Channel Catfish — Ictalurus punctatus · freshwater
- Chinook Salmon — Oncorhynchus tshawytscha · freshwater
- Cisco — Coregonus artedi · freshwater
- Coho Salmon — Oncorhynchus kisutch · freshwater
- Common Carp — Cyprinus carpio · freshwater
- Common Shiner — Luxilus cornutus · freshwater
- Creek Chub — Semotilus atromaculatus · freshwater
- Emerald Shiner — Notropis atherinoides · freshwater
- Fantail Darter — Etheostoma flabellare · freshwater
- Fathead Minnow — Pimephales promelas · freshwater
- Flathead Catfish — Pylodictis olivaris · freshwater
- Freshwater Drum — Aplodinotus grunniens · freshwater
- Gizzard Shad — Dorosoma cepedianum · freshwater
- Golden Redhorse — Moxostoma erythrurum · freshwater
- Golden Shiner — Notemigonus crysoleucas · freshwater
- Goldeye — Hiodon alosoides · freshwater
- Goldfish — Carassius auratus · freshwater
- Grass Carp — Ctenopharyngodon idella · freshwater
- Green Sunfish — Lepomis cyanellus · freshwater
- Greenside Darter — Etheostoma blennioides · freshwater
- Highfin Carpsucker — Carpiodes velifer · freshwater
- Hornyhead Chub — Nocomis biguttatus · freshwater
- Hybrid Striped Bass — Morone saxatilis x Morone chrysops · freshwater
- Johnny Darter — Etheostoma nigrum · freshwater
- Lake Sturgeon — Acipenser fulvescens · freshwater
- Lake Trout — Salvelinus namaycush · freshwater
- Lake Whitefish — Coregonus clupeaformis · freshwater
- Largemouth Bass — Micropterus salmoides · freshwater
- Logperch — Percina caprodes · freshwater
- Longear Sunfish — Lepomis megalotis · freshwater
- Longnose Gar — Lepisosteus osseus · freshwater
- Mooneye — Hiodon tergisus · freshwater
- Mottled Sculpin — Cottus bairdii · freshwater
- Muskellunge — Esox masquinongy · freshwater
- Northern Hog Sucker — Hypentelium nigricans · freshwater
- Northern Pike — Esox lucius · freshwater
- Orangespotted Sunfish — Lepomis humilis · freshwater
- Orangethroat Darter — Etheostoma spectabile · freshwater
- Paddlefish — Polyodon spathula · freshwater
- Pink Salmon — Oncorhynchus gorbuscha · freshwater
- Pirate Perch — Aphredoderus sayanus · freshwater
- Pumpkinseed — Lepomis gibbosus · freshwater
- Quillback — Carpiodes cyprinus · freshwater
- Rainbow Darter — Etheostoma caeruleum · freshwater
- Rainbow Smelt — Osmerus mordax · freshwater
- Rainbow Trout — Oncorhynchus mykiss · freshwater
- Red Shiner — Cyprinella lutrensis · freshwater
- Redear Sunfish — Lepomis microlophus · freshwater
- Redfin Pickerel — Esox americanus · freshwater
- River Carpsucker — Carpiodes carpio · freshwater
- River Redhorse — Moxostoma carinatum · freshwater
- Rock Bass — Ambloplites rupestris · freshwater
- Round Goby — Neogobius melanostomus · freshwater
- Sand Shiner — Notropis stramineus · freshwater
- Sauger — Sander canadensis · freshwater
- Saugeye — Sander vitreus x Sander canadensis · freshwater
- Shorthead Redhorse — Moxostoma macrolepidotum · freshwater
- Shortnose Gar — Lepisosteus platostomus · freshwater
- Shovelnose Sturgeon — Scaphirhynchus platorynchus · freshwater
- Silver Carp — Hypophthalmichthys molitrix · freshwater
- Silver Redhorse — Moxostoma anisurum · freshwater
- Skipjack Herring — Alosa chrysochloris · freshwater
- Slenderhead Darter — Percina phoxocephala · freshwater
- Smallmouth Bass — Micropterus dolomieu · freshwater
- Smallmouth Buffalo — Ictiobus bubalus · freshwater
- Spotfin Shiner — Cyprinella spiloptera · freshwater
- Spotted Bass — Micropterus punctulatus · freshwater
- Spotted Gar — Lepisosteus oculatus · freshwater
- Spotted Sucker — Minytrema melanops · freshwater
- Stonecat — Noturus flavus · freshwater
- Striped Bass — Morone saxatilis · freshwater
- Striped Shiner — Luxilus chrysocephalus · freshwater
- Tadpole Madtom — Noturus gyrinus · freshwater
- Threadfin Shad — Dorosoma petenense · freshwater
- Trout-perch — Percopsis omiscomaycus · freshwater
- Walleye — Sander vitreus · freshwater
- Warmouth — Lepomis gulosus · freshwater
- Western Mosquitofish — Gambusia affinis · freshwater
- White Bass — Morone chrysops · freshwater
- White Crappie — Pomoxis annularis · freshwater
- White Sucker — Catostomus commersonii · freshwater
- Yellow Bass — Morone mississippiensis · freshwater
- Yellow Bullhead — Ameiurus natalis · freshwater
- Yellow Perch — Perca flavescens · freshwater
Go deeper
Start with a recorded species profile for when, where, how, bait, size and catch evidence. Missing facts are kept unfilled; state associations are not local catch forecasts.
City starting points
- Aurora, IL — geographic discovery
- Barrington Hills, IL — geographic discovery
- Bloomington, IL — geographic discovery
- Chicago, IL — geographic discovery
- Decatur, IL — geographic discovery
- Elgin, IL — geographic discovery
- Godfrey, IL — geographic discovery
- Joliet, IL — geographic discovery
- Naperville, IL — geographic discovery
- Peoria, IL — geographic discovery
- Rockford, IL — geographic discovery
- Springfield, IL — geographic discovery
Local directories
Local boat-ramp, charter, bait-shop and creator listings are not in the source yet for Illinois. No local businesses or access points are implied.
Browse Illinois species evidence · Explore the Illinois guide
LoveToFish is a national fishing guide. Fish species coverage spans all 50 states. Ramp, charter, bait shop, and creator directories currently cover Florida. Verify current local regulations with the responsible agency.