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Sampling shows bass continue to thrive in Illinois harbors

Jim Hall caught this smallmouth bass in Lake Michigan’s Monroe Harbor. (Photo provided)

A total of 305 smallmouth bass and 140 largemouth bass were collected by DNR in three Illinois harbors and the shoreline inside Calumet Harbor last spring, with evidence that overall bass populations continue to grow in size and in numbers.
The results of the DNR sampling compliment annual anglers surveys that show since 2015, the number of smallmouth bass caught and released has ranged from 3,840 to a peak of 16,604 in 2022. In 2023, an estimated 9,870 smallmouth bass and 3,490 largemouth bass were caught and released in Illinois waters of Lake Michigan.

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