Types of Fish in the Kankakee River
By Diane Foster
July 11, 2026 · 1 min read
From hard-fighting smallmouth to walleye, pike, and catfish, the Kankakee holds a wider variety of fish than most people expect from a river this close to Chicago.
Smallmouth Bass
The river's signature fish. The rocky runs and gravel bars of the middle river are classic smallmouth water.
Placeholder copy — expand with seasons and tactics.
Smallmouth Bass
The river's signature fish. The rocky runs and gravel bars of the middle river are classic smallmouth water.
Placeholder copy — expand with seasons and tactics.
Walleye, Pike, and Catfish
Walleye stack in the deeper runs in the cooler months, northern pike haunt the slower backwaters, and channel catfish are everywhere the current softens.
Placeholder copy — expand species by species.