Top Fishing Destinations in Illinois: Rock River

Top Fishing Destinations in Illinois: Rock River

By: Jon Giacalone

The Rock River is a high-quality stream best known for catfish, walleye, crappie, smallmouth bass and the occasional northern pike that drains about 10,800 square miles of northern Illinois and southern
Wisconsin.

Within Illinois, the Rock River flows through a rural agricultural basin containing moderate-to- large communities, including Rockford, Dixon and Sterling/Rock Falls. Much of the shoreline is developed and very little is considered pristine. The river is aptly named. Much of the riverbed is comprised of glacial rock, ranging in size from gravel to small boulders. Navigation in unfamiliar stretches can be very hazardous. Shallow-draft jon boats with small outboard motors are proper fishing vessels. Some anglers use jet-drive lower units to help eliminate damage.



Small rivers, like the Rock, dictate that anglers keep their equipment simple. Spinning tackle and 6- pound test line are proper for most fishing, including catfishing. There is no need to carry “tackle by the ton.” Choose a small tackle box and include a variety of 1/16 and 1/8 ounce jigs, two and three-inch
twister tails and shad bodies, 1/4 and 3/8-ounce slip sinker rigs, small bobbers and light terminal tackle
including split shot and No. 4 to No. 1/0 hooks. Complete the box with a couple 1/4-ounce size crankbaits, No. 7 or No. 9 Rapalas, four-inch Rattlin’ Rogues and you're all set.

Interactive Lake Map

To find a detailed map and real-time fishing reports follow the Rock River waterway page on Fishidy.

Here are some tips for locating and catching fish on the Rock River:

● In the beginning of spring, rains and snow melt trigger rising water levels, and the increase in current is the signal for walleye to begin moving to spawning areas. Numbers of fish begin to collect below the dams at Rockton and Rockford. In general, males concentrate at the dams while the larger females stage near boulders, bridge pilings and heavy structure a few miles downstream. All of the walleye do not spawn at the same time and there will be some fish that move to the dams earlier than others.

● Channel catfish action begins in May in areas that contain riprap, cutbacks or deadfall trees. The use of live bait is a must. Redworms and fathead minnows are deadly, but remember to fish very close to heavy cover that is used for nest building. Slip bobbers can be used to suspend the bait about two feet deep very close to cover. Pay close attention to minnows jumping out of the water to indicate feeding catfish.

● Summer angling on the Rock River is almost exclusively for smallmouth bass and channel catfish.  Walleye fishing is confirmed to those fish taken incidentally by bass and catfish anglers. Crappie can be found, but it is usually a matter of catching two or three from a deadfall then moving to another tree. Most smallmouth fishing is targeted at rocky riffles that contain cobble-sized rock or boulders or gravel bars.

● The same jigs that were used for walleye in the spring work for summer smallmouth bass. If the fishing is slow on any given day, try tipping the jig with a leech or a bit of nightcrawler. Other effective lures include Mepps spinners, Countdown Rapalas and No. 5 Fat Raps. As temperatures rise, the mouths of running creeks concentrate bass, as the incoming water can be a degree or two cooler than the river. That temperature change can be enough to hold active fish.

● In the fall, an 1/8-ounce chartreuse jig tipped with a minnow is the standard bait for walleye.  The upstream slopes of deep holes can be magnets. Anchor upstream from a hole and cast a slip sinker rig with a Rapala into the hole. Retrieve the lure slowly up the slope. The retrieve can be as slow as one turn of the reel handle every 10 seconds. Current will make the Rapala wiggle enticingly.

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