Big Muddy River Fishing Guides
The tailwater below Rend Lake, where crappie, white bass and heavy catfish stack up under the spillway in southern Illinois.
Guides on the Big Muddy River
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About the Big Muddy River
The Big Muddy below Rend Lake is a southern Illinois tailwater in the midwestern sense – not a cold trout release but a warmwater river whose fishing is organised entirely around what comes through the dam. When water is moving, baitfish get pushed into the tailrace and everything in the system lines up to eat them. When the gates are closed, the river below settles into a slow, turbid, timber-filled channel that fishes like the bottomland stream it is.
Crappie are the draw for most anglers, and both white and black crappie move through the tailrace in numbers during the spring. White bass make a genuine run and can be caught in quantity when the timing is right. The catfish fishery is the real depth of the place though – channel cats are everywhere, blue catfish work the deeper scour holes below the structure, and flatheads hold tight to the woody cover and reach sizes that surprise people who think of the Big Muddy as a small river.
Below the tailrace the river takes on a completely different personality. It winds through bottomland hardwood and agricultural country, muddy by name and by nature, with logjams, cut banks and oxbows. Jon boats and kayaks both work, though wood in the channel demands attention and the river can be pushy after rain. This lower water sees very little pressure compared to the dam, and anglers willing to work it find good catfish and bass with nobody around.
Rend Lake is a Corps of Engineers impoundment and the tailwater access reflects that, with developed parking and bank fishing areas near the spillway. Flows are managed for flood control rather than fishing, so the river can go from low and clear to high and brown in a day. Check the gauge, be careful of wood, and be aware that the lower river is genuinely remote in places despite the farm country around it.
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Access
Rend Lake spillway near Benton - the gauge reach and the main tailwater bank access.
Rend Lake dam east side - developed parking and fishing access below the structure.
Highway 14 crossing near Benton - bridge access on the upper river.
Plumfield area - bank and small craft access on the middle reach.
Murphysboro river access - the main launch on the lower river.
Route 13 crossing near Murphysboro - bridge access toward the lower river.
Grand Tower area - the bottom of the run near the Mississippi confluence.
Seasons
Spring: the best period of the year, with crappie and white bass in the tailrace.
Summer: catfish dominate, best worked at night and on falling water after storms.
Fall: cooling water pulls crappie back through and the lower river clears noticeably.
Winter: slow, with sauger and deep-holding catfish for anglers who pick their days.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Big Muddy River?
As of Sep 17, 5:00 am, the USGS gauge BIG MUDDY RIVER BELOW REND LAKE NR BENTON, IL reads 34 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Big Muddy River?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Sauger, White Bass, White Crappie on the Big Muddy River in Illinois.
Where can you access the Big Muddy River?
Rend Lake spillway near Benton - the gauge reach and the main tailwater bank access. Rend Lake dam east side - developed parking and fishing access below the structure. Highway 14 crossing near Benton - bridge access on the upper river. Plumfield area - bank and small craft access on the middle reach. Murphysboro river access - the main launch on the lower river. Route 13 crossing near Murphysboro - bridge access toward the lower river. Grand Tower area - the bottom of the run near the Mississippi confluence.
When is the best time to fish the Big Muddy River?
Spring: the best period of the year, with crappie and white bass in the tailrace. Summer: catfish dominate, best worked at night and on falling water after storms. Fall: cooling water pulls crappie back through and the lower river clears noticeably. Winter: slow, with sauger and deep-holding catfish for anglers who pick their days.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Big Muddy River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Illinois agency site: https://www.ifishillinois.org/site-documents/FishingDigest.pdf