The Illinois River north of the Alton/St. Louis area is an ever changing situation for the bass angler. What man has not changed weather is likely to modify. The joining to the Kankakee and the Des Plaines rivers forms the Illinois river which proceeds some 273 miles southwest and south to enter the Mississippi River some 14 miles upstream from Alton, Illinois.
Variations of water level, wind, weather and temperature conditions provide the angler with a challenging time trying to get a handle on the most effective fishing patterns.
Some anglers have reported fishing a single stick‑up and taking four fish from it. They can then move away for a short period before moving back to the same spot and finding the water had dropped 5 inches. Bass move in and out of an area in response to the rise and fall of water levels.
Anglers fish the same log for days, making several casts and catching nothing. An hour later they return and cast to the same location and catch fish. The variable is the change in water level. Floods and fluctuating water levels, due to water releases from dam gates, can affect shoreline habitat.
At one time the river with its backwaters, tributaries and fertile watersheds was probably the most abundant and diverse river fishery in the upper Midwest. Man used it not only as a means of transportation for people and goods, but also for disposal of garbage and other waste. Since the early 70’s water quality has improved in part due to passage of the Clean Water Act and the funds it made available.
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