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REND LAKE
Lake Information
County: Franklin
Acreage: 18900
Average Depth: 14.99 feet
Shoreline Length: 162 miles
Recreational Amenities
Boat Fishing? Unrestricted
Boat Ramps? Yes
Boat Rental? Yes
Skiing? Yes
Swimming? Yes
Picnicking? Yes
Camping? Yes
Click on area names for a more detailed map.
Dam West,
Gun Creek,
Ina Access,
Marcum Access,
Nason Access,
North Marina,
Turnip Patch
Maps are not intended for navigation.
There are no zebra mussels in this lake.
Fishing Outlook ( Full PDF Report )
Click here for a list of all reports.
Species |
Rank |
Fish Status |
Good | The size structure of the bluegill population remained stable. Bluegill will be abundant in the coming year with most keepers 6.5"- 8" in length and averaging 1/3 lb or less with a few larger fish reaching 1/2 lb. With above average growth rates and excellent body condition, the population should continue to provide good fishing in the coming year. | |
Excellent | The fishing prospects for channel catfish remain excellent for the coming year. Natural reproduction and recruitment continue to be very strong, and are responsible for maintaining the large population of fish in the lake. The condition of these fish is fair and growth rates are good. In the coming year, channel catfish from 1 – 3.5 pounds should be abundant with larger fish up to 6 pounds common. This lake remains one of the premier channel catfish waters in southern Illinois, and should remain on your list of places to fish for channels in 2020. | |
Very Good | The portion of the crappie population comprised of fish over 10” in length is over 35%. For 2020, crappie 10"-12" in length and averaging 1/2 to 1+ pound will should provide some quality angling opportunities. Crappie 8”- 10” remain abundant as well and will also contribute to the creel. The number of crappie over 12” in length remains stable and relatively low. The condition of all sizes of crappie is very good. Regulations will remain unchanged in 2020, but the population will be monitored closely. Site Regulation: White, Black or Hybrid Crappie: 25 daily limit, not more than 10 exceeding 10". | |
Fair | Six striped bass hybrids were collected in the 2019 fall survey. The hybrids collected were 14-15 inches in length and weighed 1-2 pounds. Site Regulation: 20 daily limit, not more than 3 exceeding 17" | |
Average | The bass population for 2020 will be average. However, two excellent spawns in 2018-2019 will result in more bass reaching the 14 inch size limit in 2020 and 2021. based on the 2019 fall survey, the percentage of the population exceeding the 14" minimum length limit was 22%. Another 13% of the bass population was between 12-14 inches or just below the 14 inch length limit. The number of larger bass over 18" in length remains stable but low. Site Regulation: 6 fish daily limit, 14" minimum length limit. | |
Very Good | The number of white bass collected in the fall 2019 electrofishing survey was more than double the 5-year average. Fishing should be good in 20207. Anglers can expect the catchable population to be largely comprised of fish 12”- 16” in length and weighing 0.5 – 1.5 pounds. Site Regulation: 20 daily limit, not more than 3 exceeding 17". | |
Location: Rend Lake is located in Franklin and Jefferson counties along IL Interstate 57 approximately 15 miles south of Mt. Vernon and just northwest of Benton.
Description: Rend Lake was completed in 1971 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The lake was formed by constructing a 2-mile-long dam across the Big Muddy River floodplain. At normal pool, Rend Lake has a surface area of 18,900 acres, a maximum depth of 35 feet, and a mean depth of 10 feet. The lake is thirteen miles long and three miles wide and has 162 miles of shoreline. It is the second largest impoundment in Illinois.
History and Status of the Sport Fishery: There are more than 30 species of fish in Rend Lake. In addition to traditional sport fish, Rend Lake also contains large populations of carp, buffalo, gar, drum, and shad. The fish population is surveyed annually.
Additional Lake Information: Tournaments: For tournament permits, contact Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park at 618-629-2320.
Site Regulations:
Largemouth, Smallmouth or Spotted Bass: 6 fish daily limit, 14" minimum length limit
White, Black or Hybrid Crappie: 25 daily limit, not more than 10 exceeding 10"
White, Yellow or Hybrid Striped Bass: 20 daily limit, not more than 3 exceeding 17"
Contact Information: Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park 618-629-2320IDNR Fisheries Biologist, Shawn Hirst 619-559-5009Rend Lake COE 618-724-249
There were 70 tournaments held on this waterbody in 2019.
| Species | Total Fish Caught |
| Channel Catfish | 150 |
| Common Carp | 112 |
| Crappie | 266 |
| Largemouth Bass | 4194 |
| Spotted Gar | 40 |
Top 5 Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2019 tournaments:
| 1 7.58 lbs | 2 6.91 lbs | 3 6.86 lbs | 4 6.86 lbs | 5 6.72 lbs |
Top 5 Bag Weights of Largemouth Bass caught on this waterbody in 2019 tournaments:
| 1 | 702.13 lbs |
| 2 | 576.31 lbs |
| 3 | 509.13 lbs |
| 4 | 500.49 lbs |
| 5 | 492.88 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? |
| April-16 | 14963 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 75 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Spotted Bass | Yes | Yes |
| April-18 | 15014 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 70 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| April-18 | 15558 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | Yes | No |
| April-28 | 15377 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 8 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| May-02 | 13957 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 50 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| May-02 | 15726 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Crappie | No | No |
| May-03 | 15102 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 20 | Crappie | No | No |
| May-09 | 13876 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 50 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Spotted Bass | Yes | Yes |
| May-10 | 14296 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| May-16 | 14420 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 50 | Channel Catfish | No | Yes |
| May-17 | 15015 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 70 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| May-19 | 15378 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 8 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| May-23 | 14915 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 100 | Crappie | No | No |
| May-30 | 13812 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 125 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Buffalo | No | Yes |
| May-31 | 15016 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 70 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| May-31 | 15639 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-06 | 14408 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 80 | Largemouth Bass | Yes | Yes |
| June-06 | 14896 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 15 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-07 | 13856 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 65 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| June-07 | 14509 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 40 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| June-07 | 14838 | Pending | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 15 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-07 | 15833 | Approved | Jackie Branch (25 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-13 | 15017 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 70 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| June-14 | 13975 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 50 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-20 | 13740 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 100 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| June-20*June-21 | 15135 | Approved | Jackie Branch (25 boat limit) | boathook | 15 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | No |
| June-23 | 15379 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 8 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| June-27 | 13980 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 50 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-27 | 15280 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | bankbow | 0 | Multiple Species | Yes | No |
| June-28 | 14743 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 12 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| June-28 | 15018 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 70 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| July-11 | 13978 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 125 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Buffalo | No | Yes |
| July-11 | 14479 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 24 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| July-12 | 14543 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 40 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| July-12 | 15674 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| July-18 | 13998 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 50 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| July-18 | 14845 | Approved | South Sandusky (75 boat limit) | boathook | 10 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| July-19 | 13904 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 65 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| July-19 | 13968 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| July-21 | 15380 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 8 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| July-26 | 15675 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| July-26 | 15707 | Approved | Jackie Branch (25 boat limit) | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| July-26 | 15957 | Approved | South Marcum (50 boat limit) | boathook | 10 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| August-02 | 13741 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 75 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| August-08 | 14484 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 24 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| August-08 | 15676 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| August-16 | 14008 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 50 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| August-18 | 15381 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 8 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| August-22*August-23 | 14315 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| August-29 | 14107 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 17 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| August-30 | 15677 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| September-12 | 15203 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 15 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| September-13 | 14480 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 150 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| September-15 | 15382 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 8 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| September-17 | 16110 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 100 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Spotted Bass | Yes | Yes |
| September-19 | 14017 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 50 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| September-26*September-27 | 15136 | Approved | Jackie Branch (25 boat limit) | boathook | 15 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass | No | No |
| September-26 | 15678 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| September-27 | 13742 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 75 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| October-03*October-04 | 14464 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 30 | Multiple Species | No | Yes |
| October-04 | 15832 | Approved | Jackie Branch (25 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| October-10*October-11 | 14790 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 15 | Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Spotted Bass | No | No |
| October-11 | 15409 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 25 | Crappie | No | No |
| October-17*October-18 | 14267 | Approved | Gun Creek South (Golf Course Ramp - 50 boat limit) | boathook | 20 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
| October-17 | 14966 | Approved | Sailboat Harbor ( Harbor Oaks - 150 boat limit) | boathook | 50 | Largemouth Bass | No | No |
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