Mackinaw River Fishing Guides
Central Illinois' best smallmouth stream, a clean gravel-bottomed prairie river running through sand country to the Illinois.
Guides on the Mackinaw River
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About the Mackinaw River
The Mackinaw is the exception that proves the rule about central Illinois rivers. Most streams draining this stretch of prairie are slow, silt-bottomed and turbid, having been straightened, tiled and farmed to the bank for a century and a half. The Mackinaw largely escaped that. It kept its meanders, it kept a wooded corridor along much of its length, and crucially it runs through a belt of sand and gravel deposits west of Bloomington that give it a firm bottom and reasonably clear water. The result is the best smallmouth bass river in this part of the state and one that conservation groups have worked hard to protect.
Smallmouth are the reason to come. They hold exactly where you would expect – the heads and tails of riffles, the deeper seams along cut banks, and the shade under any fallen tree with current beside it. The fish run to respectable size in the lower river and they are numerous throughout. Rock bass fill the pocket water, longear sunfish are abundant and colourful, and channel and flathead catfish take over the deep bends. Northern pike hold in the slower backwaters near the Illinois River confluence, which is an unusual bonus this far south in the state.
This is a wade-and-float river and it is genuinely pleasant to fish. Much of the corridor is private farm ground, so the road crossings and the public tracts are the practical entry points, and a canoe run between bridges is the classic way to cover water. The gauge near Green Valley publishes water temperature along with discharge and stage, which is worth using – smallmouth activity here tracks water temperature closely, and the spring warm-up through the sixties is the signal to start.
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Access
Mackinaw River access near Green Valley - roadside entry near the gauge.
Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area - the main public tract on the lower river.
IL 9 crossing - a bridge put-in and takeout for float trips.
Congerville area crossings - upper river access above the sand country.
Moraine View area tributary access - upstream public ground.
Lower Mackinaw near Pekin - access toward the Illinois River confluence.
Spring Creek confluence area - a quieter wade entry on the middle river.
Seasons
Spring: coloured and high early, then the strongest smallmouth fishing as it drops through May.
Summer: low, clear and technical - wade early and late and fish small.
Fall: excellent, with smallmouth feeding hard on the gravel before winter.
Winter: slow and cold; catfish in the deep holes and little else moving.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Mackinaw River?
As of Sep 17, 5:45 am, the USGS gauge MACKINAW RIVER NEAR GREEN VALLEY, IL reads 275 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Mackinaw River?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Longnose Gar, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass on the Mackinaw River in Illinois.
Where can you access the Mackinaw River?
Mackinaw River access near Green Valley - roadside entry near the gauge. Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area - the main public tract on the lower river. IL 9 crossing - a bridge put-in and takeout for float trips. Congerville area crossings - upper river access above the sand country. Moraine View area tributary access - upstream public ground. Lower Mackinaw near Pekin - access toward the Illinois River confluence. Spring Creek confluence area - a quieter wade entry on the middle river.
When is the best time to fish the Mackinaw River?
Spring: coloured and high early, then the strongest smallmouth fishing as it drops through May. Summer: low, clear and technical - wade early and late and fish small. Fall: excellent, with smallmouth feeding hard on the gravel before winter. Winter: slow and cold; catfish in the deep holes and little else moving.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Mackinaw River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Illinois agency site: https://www.ifishillinois.org/site-documents/FishingDigest.pdf