Little Wabash River Fishing Guides
A slow bottomland river through southeastern Illinois farm country, deep and timbered, with flathead catfish and crappie in the log jams.
Guides on the Little Wabash River
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About the Little Wabash River
The Little Wabash runs the length of southeastern Illinois, gathering out of the Effingham country and winding south through Clay, Wayne and White counties before joining the Wabash proper down near New Haven. Nothing about it is dramatic. It is a low-gradient bottomland river through farm country, running between mud banks under sycamore and cottonwood, brown most of the year, and it floods the surrounding bottoms regularly enough that much of its floodplain has stayed in timber rather than row crop. That timber is exactly what makes it fish well.
This is a catfish and crappie river first. Flathead catfish hold in the deep holes and against submerged log jams and grow large in the lower reaches near Carmi, and channel catfish are everywhere and easy to find. Crappie – both black and white – stack in the brush and around any fallen tree with depth beside it, and in spring they are the reason most local anglers are on the water. Largemouth bass work the same cover, spotted bass turn up in the faster stretches, and drum, carp and gar fill out a genuinely diverse warmwater fish community.
The practical character of the river is that it is slow, deep, and best fished from a small boat. Wading is generally not the tool here – the bottom is soft and the holes are deep. Bank access at the road crossings and in Carmi itself is the realistic entry for anyone without a boat. The gauge at Carmi publishes discharge and stage but no water temperature. Watch the stage rather than the flow: this river backs up when the Wabash is high, and a rising Wabash will slow and dirty the Little Wabash for miles above the confluence.
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Access
Carmi riverfront - the main in-town bank access and ramp.
IL 1 crossing near Carmi - bridge access with roadside parking.
New Haven area access - lower river near the Wabash confluence.
IL 141 crossing - a bridge and bank entry on the middle river.
Wayne County road crossings - scattered upstream access.
Burnt Prairie area access - a quieter upstream bank entry.
Little Wabash bottoms public ground - walk-in access through the floodplain timber.
Seasons
Spring: high and often out of the banks, then prime crappie fishing as the water drops into the brush.
Summer: low, warm and slow - the flathead season, fished after dark in the deep holes.
Fall: good and comfortable, with crappie moving back to cover and catfish still feeding.
Winter: quiet and cold; deep-hole catfish are about all that moves.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Little Wabash River?
As of Sep 17, 4:45 am, the USGS gauge LITTLE WABASH RIVER AT CARMI, IL reads 54 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Little Wabash River?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Bowfin, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Longnose Gar, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, White Bass, White Crappie on the Little Wabash River in Illinois.
Where can you access the Little Wabash River?
Carmi riverfront - the main in-town bank access and ramp. IL 1 crossing near Carmi - bridge access with roadside parking. New Haven area access - lower river near the Wabash confluence. IL 141 crossing - a bridge and bank entry on the middle river. Wayne County road crossings - scattered upstream access. Burnt Prairie area access - a quieter upstream bank entry. Little Wabash bottoms public ground - walk-in access through the floodplain timber.
When is the best time to fish the Little Wabash River?
Spring: high and often out of the banks, then prime crappie fishing as the water drops into the brush. Summer: low, warm and slow - the flathead season, fished after dark in the deep holes. Fall: good and comfortable, with crappie moving back to cover and catfish still feeding. Winter: quiet and cold; deep-hole catfish are about all that moves.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Little Wabash River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Illinois agency site: https://www.ifishillinois.org/site-documents/FishingDigest.pdf