Rend Lake Fishing – It’s Legendary

Southern Illinois has been called the “Great Lakes of Southern Illinois and for good reason. Over 37,000 acres of public and federal fishing waters greet visitors each year in this six county area.  Being on the water has risks.  Please read these tips on fishing safety.

Enormous cat fish and record breaking sunfish are promises kept to the eager angler.  Monster large mouth bass cruise the buck brush and rip rap banks seeking their prey (you won’t want to pass up any “hidden” off-shore stumps either – hint hint).  Bow fin, carp and buffalo are also present in these waters and offer some of the hardest fighting angling experiences anywhere!  Four of Illinois’ fishing records have been caught from this area.  Fishing licenses and special species stamps (trout for example – though there are none in Rend Lake) are available through various vendors in southern Illinois and online at the IDNR’s web site.

Some of the records set at Rend Lake

• Black Crappie  4 lbs 8 oz caught by John Hampton 5/15/1976
• Bowfin   16 lbs 6 oz  caught by Charles R. Keller   9/23/1984

Contacts for more information

You can get information and order gaming licenses online on the Illinois Department of Resources website (http://dnr.state.il.us/), or contact them at:

Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Region 5 Office
11731 State Highway 37
Benton, IL 62812
Phone: (618) 435-8138

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rend Lake Management Office 12220 Rend City Road Benton, IL 62812 Phone: (618) 724-2493	Illinois Department of Natural Resources Region 5 Office 11731 State Highway 37 Benton, IL 62812 Phone: (618) 435-8138
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park 11094 Ranger Road Whittington, IL 62897 Phone: (618) 629-2320	Illinois Department of Natural Resources State Fish and Wildlife Area R.R. 1, Box 168G Bonnie, IL 62816 Phone: (618) 279-3110
	Rend Lake Conservancy District Rend Lake Hunting Preserve 17738 Conservation Lane Whittington, IL 62897 Phone: (618) 629-2368