Illinois Fishing Trails and Maps

2110 Reviews

Looking for the best Fishing trails around Illinois?

Find the top rated fishing trails in Illinois, whether you're looking for an easy short fishing trail or a long fishing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a fishing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

City Trails and Maps in Illinois

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
43 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Baumann Park Recreation Path

1.25 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Busse Woods Trail

11.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete

Cal-Sag Trail

13.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Conservation District Trail

2.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Constitution Trail & Historic Route 66 Trail

50.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete

Danada and Herrick Lake Regional Trail

5.8 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone

DuPage River Trail

33.1 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Fox River Trail (IL)

45.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

George Rogers Clark Discovery Trail

3.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete

Grant Woods Bike Path

5.9 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone

Great American Rail-Trail

3743.9 mi
State: DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, MD, MT, NE, OH, PA, WA, WV, WY
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Jane Addams Trail

18.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Kankakee River Trail

10.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Kishwaukee River Recreation Path

2.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Kishwaukee Riverfront Path

6.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Lake Arlington Walking Path

2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Lincoln Park Trail

0.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Mahomet Village Bike Trail

4 mi
State: IL
Concrete

Millennium Trail

30.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Moraine Hills State Park Trail

11.4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Accordion

Ottawa Riverwalk

0.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Palatine Trail

9.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete

Prairie Trail (IL)

26.4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Puri Path

4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Rend Lake Bike Trail

20.6 mi
State: IL
Concrete, Crushed Stone

Rock River Recreation Path

10 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Village of Rantoul Trail

7.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Waterfall Glen

9.5 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone, Grass

Carlyle Lake Bike Trail

10.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete

General Dacey Trail

6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Great River Trail

63.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Hennepin Canal State Trail

93 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Grass, Gravel

Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail

79.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel

Lincoln Prairie Trail

14.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Richland Creek Greenway Trail

3.8 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Rock Run Greenway Trail

12.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Dorr Road Bike Path

2.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

El Paso Walking Trail (IL)

2.8 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone

Eagle Points Trail

7.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Oregon Park East Bike Path

0.25 mi
State: IL
Asphalt
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
Baumann Park is adjacent to the Kishwaukee River in Cherry Valley, a community on the outskirts of Rockford in northern Illinois. A paved pathway runs through the park and loops around Baumann Park...
IL 1.25 mi Asphalt
Overview    The Busse Woods Trail spans the Ned Brown Forest Preserve, a 3,700-acre natural space in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. The preserve—popularly just called Busse Woods—has a large...
IL 11.6 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Closure Notice: The trail is closed at the 127th Street bridge until the end of 2024. Overview The Cal-Sag Trail (also known as the Calumet-Sag Trail) runs for 13.7 miles and connects several...
IL 13.7 mi Asphalt
North of the Sangamon River crossing, the Conservation District Trail closely follows Stevens Creek through a flat and dense wetlands forest on the west end of Decatur. South of the river, the trail...
IL 2.3 mi Asphalt
Overview The sprawling Constitution Trail and Historic Rte. 66 Trail covers over 53 miles throughout the Bloomington-Normal area. The trail was officially named and dedicated in 1987 in celebration...
IL 50.5 mi Asphalt, Concrete
This regional trail connects two of DuPage County's forest preserves—Herrick Lake and Danada—on a crushed stone pathway nearly 6 miles long. Together, the preserves cover more than 1,600 acres of...
IL 5.8 mi Crushed Stone
The DuPage River Trail spans over 30 miles across two counties: DuPage and Will. It's currently open in several disconnected segments mainly in parks and forest preserves beginning in Warrenville and...
IL 33.1 mi Asphalt
Overview The Fox River Trail (FRT) was built on stretches of three former railroads: Chicago, Aurora & Elgin; Aurora, Elgin, & Fox River Electric; and Chicago & North Western. Today, it hosts a...
IL 45.7 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
The George Rogers Clark Discovery Trail has a name from the history books, and it runs entirely through Fort Massac State Park—Illinois’ first State Park, now over 100 years old—with its recreated...
IL 3.9 mi Asphalt, Concrete
About an hour northwest of Chicago, the beautiful Grant Woods Forest Preserve spans more than 1,000 acres, offering an outdoor respite of prairie, woodlands and marshes. The crushed limestone pathway...
IL 5.9 mi Crushed Stone
Note: This developing route is not yet fully contiguous – it is just over 50% complete. Please refer to the Trail Map for more information on the existing sections of trail, as well as the online...
DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, MD, MT, NE, OH, PA, WA, WV, WY 3743.9 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
There’s no debating the historical significance of the Jane Addams Trail. Not only is it named for a Nobel Peace Prize-winning social activist who grew up nearby, but the trail also passes the site of...
IL 18.9 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Kankakee River Trail is fairly wooded and runs primarily through Kankakee River State Park. Walkers, bicyclists, and cross-country skiers can enjoy more than ten miles of trail along the north...
IL 10.6 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Kishwaukee River Recreation Path runs for 2.5 miles in Cherry Valley on the outskirts of Rockford in northern Illinois. The well-maintained, asphalt trail connects the Kishwaukee River Forest...
IL 2.5 mi Asphalt
The Kishwaukee Riverfront Path winds nearly 7 miles through downtown Belvidere, east of Rockford in northern Illinois. As its name implies, the paved scenic trail follows the waterway for most of its...
IL 6.9 mi Asphalt
Lake Arlington is an artificial lake and popular recreation area in Arlington Heights in Cook County. The park features amenities to interest visitors of all ages and it is a local favorite for family...
IL 2 mi Asphalt
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods...
IL 0.9 mi Asphalt
The Mahomet Village Bike Trail is a safe, paved route that connects all the major parts of the village. On the north, there are the various and popular facilities of the Lake of the Woods Forest...
IL 4 mi Concrete
The Millennium Trail currently spans just over 30 miles in two disconnected segments, but there are plans to extend it to 35 miles and connect it to the Des Plaines River Trail. The trail goes through...
IL 30.7 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
Moraine Hills State Park Trail offers a wonderful experience for any geology or nature aficionado. A moraine is an accumulation of earth and stones carried and finally deposited by a glacier....
IL 11.4 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Accordion
The Ottawa Riverwalk runs directly beside the beautiful Fox River, just north of its confluence with the larger Illinois River. It's a tranquil walkway with river views along its entire length. To...
IL 0.9 mi Asphalt
The village of Palatine has connected many of its community assets with two long sections of off-road, multi-use trail. The more popular northern section is the one most references call simply and...
IL 9.6 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Overview The Prairie Trail runs the length of McHenry County and is managed by the McHenry County Conservation District. The rail trail spans just over 26 miles from the Wisconsin border and the...
IL 26.4 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
The Puri Path is a paved route in Rock Cut State Park, a beautiful outdoor destination of more than 3,000 acres for the city of Rockford. The path runs through the heavily wooded northeast corner of...
IL 4 mi Asphalt
The Rend Lake Bike Trail, in the heart of southern Illinois, goes around nearly half of the second-largest man-made lake in the state. Along the way, trail-goers will enjoy picturesque views of the...
IL 20.6 mi Concrete, Crushed Stone
The 4.4-mile River Bend Trail is so named for the loop of Fox River along which it follows on its eastern end. It's here that you can connect to the scenic Fox River Trail to travel 43 miles along the...
IL 4.4 mi Asphalt
The paved Rock River Recreation Trail winds throughout downtown Rockford and environs, following the east bank of the Rock River through Shorewood Park and Martin Memorial Park. Officially, the trail...
IL 10 mi Asphalt
This is a story of four trails in one. The newest and northwestern section of the trail runs by the old downtown area of the village and its local Amtrak station. Then across the northern section...
IL 7.9 mi Asphalt
Overview The trail system in Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve makes a loop around the entire park and totals 9.5 miles. About the Route The Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve is geologically...
IL 9.5 mi Crushed Stone, Grass
The Carlyle Lake Bike Trail is located in one of Southwest Illinois's most popular recreational areas, just 50 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri—not far from that area's abundance of great trails, as...
IL 10.3 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The General Dacey Trail, which first opened in 2006, is a beautiful and richly varied trail located between the city of Shelbyville to the west and large Lake Shelbyville to the east. Its surface is...
IL 6 mi Asphalt
Overview The Great River Trail is a breathtaking journey along more than 60 miles of the Mississippi River in northern Illinois. In places, the paved trail follows the former spur route of the...
IL 63.3 mi Asphalt
Overview The Hennepin Canal State Trail stretches for 93 miles in northwest Illinois along an old canal towpath. The trail is administered as a State Park by the Illinois Department of Natural...
IL 93 mi Asphalt, Grass, Gravel
The Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail follows the eponymous waterway alongside the Illinois River. It traverses the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor, designated in 1984 and the first...
IL 79.5 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel
Closure Notice: About a half-mile from the trail's western endpoint in Taylorville, the bridge over Flat Branch Creek is closed. There is no expected endpoint for this closure, see the Lincoln Prairie...
IL 14.6 mi Asphalt
This trail along Richland Creek is in two discontiguous sections that must be accessed separately. The northern section goes by the thick and quiet woods of Centennial Park, where there are also very...
IL 3.8 mi Asphalt
The popular Rock Run Greenway Trail is a balanced mix of natural areas and cityscapes that alternate over the length of the trail. The natural areas are frequented by recreational users. The...
IL 12.3 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
The Dorr Road Bike Path begins at South Beloit Municipal Park and parallels the roadway for its entire length. The views are primarily residential. After about three-quarters of a mile (from the...
IL 2.7 mi Asphalt
The El Paso Walking Trail runs along part of an old railroad right-of-way through the town of El Paso, beginning at the city park on the south side of town and ending at a creek north of town among...
IL 2.8 mi Crushed Stone
Sandwiched between towering limestone bluffs and the confluence of two mighty rivers, the Sam Vadalabene Great River Road Bike Trail offers scenery once enjoyed by riverboat captains. Today, you can...
IL 20.6 mi Asphalt
Caution: While construction continues on the new I-270 bridge over the Mississippi River, be alert for trail restrictions or closings north of the parking lot access. The trail will remain open from...
IL 7.2 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Oregon Park East Bike Path is nestled along the east bank of the Rock River in the small town of Oregon in northern Illinois. The 23-acre park offers athletic facilities, restrooms, grills, and picnic...
IL 0.25 mi Asphalt
The Sterling Multi-Activity Recreational Trail starts at one end at the edge of the Hoover Park parking lot and heads into a scenic wooded trail crossing a wooden bridge over Woodlawn Creek and...
IL 2 mi Asphalt

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Recent Trail Reviews

Bloomingdale Trail (The 606)

There and back is 5.4 miles

April, 2024 by breadbrowder

Beautiful but beware of pollen.

Equality to Glen O. Jones Lake Bike Trail

Nice Trail Ride

April, 2024 by jgdlloyd

We started at the Ohio Visitors Center and traveled to Glen O Jones Lake. The signage to turn off the main road to the bike trail is missing and we passed it and had to cut across using another road. This wasn’t a big deal but signage would be nice. The trail was moderately easy following tree lines most of the way. Glen O Jones Lake is beautiful. The trail along the Saline River is beautiful as well. The trail would be best ridden in the Spring and Fall for foliage. After our ride we stopped at a food truck in Jac’s parking lot for a delicious lunch. The drive down through the Shawnee Forest and by Garden of God’s is beautiful. We will take this trail again sometime.

Long Prairie Trail

Nice trail

April, 2024 by christyfry14

We rode this trail along with the Stone Bridge Trail. The asphalt needs some repair but still a nice trail.

Accordion

Stone Bridge Trail

Great trail!

April, 2024 by christyfry14

Rode this trail this past week. Nice and wide and flat. I’m sure it will be even more beautiful this summer.

Rock Island Trail (IL)

Walking perspective of the trail

March, 2024 by quietglow

I walked the whole trail this past Saturday, starting in Toulon and heading south(ish) to Peoria. From a pedestrian perspective, this is two distinct trails.

From Toulon to Alta is a crushed limestone rail trail which runs mostly through farmland. Large portions of it pass through a beautiful tunnel of trees. Each town involves a short road walk, which offer good options for snacks etc. I'd certainly walk this 25 miles again.

From Alta to the waterfront in Peoria is a paved interurban trail that spends lots of time in suburban back yards. If you like miles of fences, apartments, etc, this section is for you. The trail is signed in this section, but I still found myself referring to a GPS map to make sure I was on track. The last several miles (heading south) are relatively steeply downhill to the waterfront. I would not walk this section again.

Spring Creek Greenway Trail

great running trail

March, 2024 by ielpmike

This is a really great trail to run on. It is very soft, especially the stretch just east of Gougar. There is a lot of really beautiful scenery. I ran the entire trail today and it was exactly 7 miles. This is not a good place to ride a bike unless you enjoy riding a soft soggy trail. There are horses on this trail so be sure to keep dogs on a leash. Just as side note, there are two dogs that run around loose from a local house. But they are totally friendly. They have run up to me twice now. They’re just tail wagers. and sniffers.

Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail

This trail is well maintained. Lots of birds and wildlife. I rode the trail on a Friday afternoon in late March (62 degrees) and there were 5 other folks riding and walking. It is a flat trail that runs through mostly farm land. ¿

March, 2024 by marisstellamary

This trail is well maintained. Lots of birds and wildlife. I rode the trail on a Friday afternoon in late March (62 degrees) and there were 5 other folks riding and walking. It is a flat trail that runs through mostly farm land. ¿

Galena River Trail

Great trail!

March, 2024 by christyfry14

We rode this trail yesterday. We started at the Galena Recreation Park and rode the trail and then continued on the road to the foot of Chestnut Ski Hill. (Round trip 20 miles) It’s a very scenic ride along the river with the bluffs. I’m sure it will be even more beautiful in the summer when everything is green. Can’t wait to go back!

Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail

Nice trail surface, not much else

March, 2024 by keckler

The trail surface is smooth asphalt. Except for the first and last miles, it is also essentially seamless. Great.

The scenery is pretty much nothing, and there isn't really anything along the way. The eastern portion is more scenic than the western, passing over a couple ravines of tributaries to the Embarras river.

Great trail for a workout.

Kishwaukee Riverfront Path

Short, Paved Path with Many Parks

March, 2024 by drewlfoster

It’s a short path that went quicker than expected on rollerblades. Still a nice path to explore, well maintained for the most part. I started at Doty Park (and I did not find a skate park as mentioned in the description, that was a bummer) and continued all the way to its end (a little past Boone County Conservation District) and then headed back again. Checking out all the little forks helped me to rack up around 8 miles round trip.

Cal-Sag Trail

New CalSag Closure 127th St. Bridge

February, 2024 by tom h

Announced last week is the closure of the 127th St. bridge which is located just east of CalSag Road. This will take place from March to December, 2024. Or in other words, the whole biking season for 2024. The repair of the intersection at 127th and CalSag road was completed in late 2023.

Green Bay Trail

Nicely Maintained but Poor Signage

February, 2024 by reg16

The Green Bay trail is nicely maintained but as others have mentioned the signs for how to keep the trail when going through residential areas is confusing. We found ourselves at one point randomly biking through Highland Park.

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