Embarras River Fishing Guides
A long, timbered southern Illinois river with big catfish in the deep bends and a smallmouth fishery that improves the further upstream you go.
Guides on the Embarras River
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About the Embarras River
The Embarras – locals say it as Ambraw and will correct you kindly – drains a long stretch of east central and southeastern Illinois before emptying into the Wabash near Lawrenceville. It is a bottomland river for most of its length, running between wooded banks through a floodplain that still floods, and the fishing reflects that. This is not clear-water sight fishing. It is a river of deep outside bends, sunken timber, cut banks and log jams, and the fish that thrive in it are the ones built for exactly that kind of cover.
Catfish are the headline. Channel cats are abundant and willing throughout, but the flatheads are what draw serious anglers – the big timbered holes below Ste. Marie hold fish that make a long night on a gravel bar worthwhile, and blue catfish push up out of the Wabash into the lower reaches. Smallmouth bass are the pleasant surprise, particularly in the upper and middle river where gravel riffles break up the sand and the water runs a little clearer. Largemouth and crappie fill the slower sloughs and oxbows, longear sunfish light up the shallow margins in summer, and gar patrol the flats.
The gauge at Ste. Marie carries discharge and stage but no temperature reading, so plan by the calendar and by what the water looks like when you get there. The Embarras is heavily influenced by Wabash backwater in its lowest reaches, which means the bottom end can be high and slow when the upper river is perfectly fishable. Float trips work well here; the river is generally too deep and soft-bottomed to wade far. Most of the productive water is reached by canoe or johnboat from the scattered county landings, and a shuttle is worth arranging in advance because the road network here is sparse.
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Access
Ste. Marie public access - the main mid-river launch and bank access.
Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area - nearby state access with river frontage.
Red Hills State Park - access to the lower river country toward the Wabash.
Lawrenceville area crossings - bank access to the lowest reaches.
Sainte Marie bridge - cartop and canoe put-in for float trips.
Jasper County road crossings - scattered walk-in access on the middle river.
Wabash River confluence - boat-only access to the mouth and its blue catfish water.
Seasons
Spring: high, muddy and often out of its banks; the first fishable window usually comes in late spring as levels fall.
Summer: prime catfish season, with flathead fishing after dark and smallmouth on the upper gravel.
Fall: the river clears and drops, and smallmouth and crappie fish well in the deeper bends.
Winter: quiet; the deep holes hold catfish for patient bank anglers on mild days.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Embarras River?
As of Sep 17, 6:45 am, the USGS gauge EMBARRAS RIVER AT STE. MARIE, IL reads 86 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Embarras River?
Anglers target Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Longnose Gar, Smallmouth Bass, White Crappie on the Embarras River in Illinois.
Where can you access the Embarras River?
Ste. Marie public access - the main mid-river launch and bank access. Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area - nearby state access with river frontage. Red Hills State Park - access to the lower river country toward the Wabash. Lawrenceville area crossings - bank access to the lowest reaches. Sainte Marie bridge - cartop and canoe put-in for float trips. Jasper County road crossings - scattered walk-in access on the middle river. Wabash River confluence - boat-only access to the mouth and its blue catfish water.
When is the best time to fish the Embarras River?
Spring: high, muddy and often out of its banks; the first fishable window usually comes in late spring as levels fall. Summer: prime catfish season, with flathead fishing after dark and smallmouth on the upper gravel. Fall: the river clears and drops, and smallmouth and crappie fish well in the deeper bends. Winter: quiet; the deep holes hold catfish for patient bank anglers on mild days.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Embarras River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Illinois agency site: https://www.ifishillinois.org/site-documents/FishingDigest.pdf