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Des Plaines River
©Illinois State Water Survey
Location: The Des Plaines River, the longest stream within the Chicago region, flows southward for 133 miles (105 miles in Illinois) through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. It eventually meets the Kankakee River southwest of Joliet to form the Illinois River, a significant tributary of the Mississippi River.
Description: At its widest point, the Des Plaines River is approximately 180 feet wide. The narrower sections are closer to 30 feet wide. The average width of the river is between 40 and 100 feet. Depth varies from location to location, but the average depth of the Des Plaines River is 3 feet during normal water levels.
The Des Plaines River is easily fished from shore, canoe/kayak or by wading. Much of the bottom is a combination of rock and silt, so care should be taken when wading.
Fisheries Fact Sheet
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Basin Report:
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Species |
Rank |
Fish Status |
Good | ||
Good | ||
Good | ||
Good | Largemouth bass are taken most frequently in the main channel border and lake habitats. | |
Excellent | Northern Pike are the primary sport fish in the upper Des Plaines River, commonly caught on spinnerbaits. Concentrate on fallen timber, eddies, current breaks and drop-offs. | |
Good | ||
Fair | Smallies are present, but not common | |
Fair | Walleye are present, but not common and are more prominent in the lower Des Plaines River. | |
Note: The upper Des Plaines River runs primarily through forest preserve property of Cook County, IL and Lake County, IL. Much of the shoreline is on property owned by the Cook County Forest Preserve District and the Lake County Forest Preserve District. Some portions do run through land that is not publicly owned so please be aware of signs indicating private property. There are many access points on the river, as well as Kayak/Canoe launch points:
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River Access Areas
- Van Patton Woods (near Wadsworth, IL)
- Independence Grove (near Libertyville, IL)
- Adler Memorial Park (near Libertyville, IL)
- Riverside Park (near Libertyville, IL)
- Red Top Park (near Libertyville, IL)
- Half Day Forest Preserve (near Vernon Hills, IL)
- Spring Lake Park (near Lincolnshire, IL)
- Potawatomi Wood s(near Wheeling and Northbrook, IL)
- Dam #1 Woods (near Wheeling, IL)
- Allison Woods (Northbrook, IL)
- Lake Avenue Woods – East (near Glenview and Mt. Prospect, IL)
- Dam #2 Woods (near Mt. Prospect, IL)
- Big Bend Lake (near Des Plaines, IL)
- Northwestern Woods (near Des Plaines, IL)
- Campground Road Woods (Des Plaines, IL)
- Iroquois Woods/Touhy Dam (Park Ridge, IL)
- Dam #4 Woods East (Park Ridge, IL)
- Robinson Woods (Near Chicago, Rosemont, and Schiller Park, IL)
- Schiller Woods (near Chicago and Schiller, Park, IL)
- Thatcher Woods (near River Forest, IL)
Canoe/Kayak launch areas
- Van Patton Woods Canoe Launch
- Wadsworth Road Canoe Launch
- Independence Grove Canoe Launch
- Oak Spring Canoe Launch
- Rt. 60 Canoe Launch Launch
- Dam #2 Canoe Launch
- Irving Park Launch
Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area Information
There were 34 tournaments held on this waterbody in 2019.
| Species | Total Fish Caught |
| Bowfin | 4 |
| Common Carp | 133 |
| Largemouth Bass | 1196 |
| Smallmouth Bass | 74 |
Top 5 Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2019 tournaments:
| 1 4.31 lbs | 2 4.11 lbs | 3 3.94 lbs | 4 3.94 lbs | 5 3.84 lbs |
Top 5 Bag Weights of Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2019 tournaments:
| 1 | 180.81 lbs |
| 2 | 164.00 lbs |
| 3 | 157.01 lbs |
| 4 | 138.18 lbs |
| 5 | 93.91 lbs |
Multiple day tournaments are listed with * end date.
Interested in participating in one of these public tournaments? Contact us with tournament ID for more information.
| 2020 Approved or Pending Tournaments | ||||||||
| Start Date | ID | Approval | Ramp Location | Bank/Boat Hook/Bow |
Max Boats | Species | Youth? | Open to Public? |
| August-12 | 14072 | Approved | Des Plaines SFWA | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | Yes |
| August-15 | 15552 | Approved | Des Plaines SFWA | boathook | 10 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | No |
| August-16 | 16656 | Approved | Des Plaines SFWA | boathook | 30 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | Yes |
| August-23 | 14403 | Approved | Big Basin | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | No |
| August-26 | 14079 | Approved | Des Plaines SFWA | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | Yes |
| August-29 | 16143 | Approved | Des Plaines SFWA | boathook | 50 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | Yes |
| August-30 | 16662 | Approved | Big Basin | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | No |
| September-13 | 13891 | Pending | Harborside Marina | boathook | 30 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | Yes | No |
| September-20 | 14535 | Approved | Harborside Marina | boathook | 30 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | Yes | No |
| November-01 | 14021 | Approved | Big Basin | boathook | 30 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | Yes |
| November-14 | 15889 | Approved | Billie Lemacher Park (bank fishing only) | bankhook | 0 | Common Carp | No | Yes |
| November-28 | 15890 | Approved | Billie Lemacher Park (bank fishing only) | bankhook | 0 | Common Carp | No | Yes |
| December-12 | 15891 | Approved | Billie Lemacher Park (bank fishing only) | bankhook | 0 | Common Carp | No | Yes |
