Tucked into the rolling hills of the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge near Marion, Devils Kitchen Lake has earned a statewide reputation as one of Illinois’ premier bass lakes. But anglers who focus only on largemouth bass may be overlooking one of the state’s most diverse fishing destinations.
Devils Kitchen, a Southern Illinois gem, offers more than trophy bass Read More »
Harvest gains were only moderate, but one thing about the 2025-26 Illinois deer season has statistically been proven as fact.
Illinois deer hunters were not sitting on the sideline. As the state hits the final stretch of preseason permit sales for the 2026-27 season, observers are curious if momentum gained by deer hunting will continue.
Illinois deer permit sales spiked last year, but what about 2026? Read More »
In our online pole on the Illinois Outdoor News website that asks readers to cast a vote, I annually type a simple question: Is this the year somebody finally hooks a new state record largemouth bass?
Without fail, at least 85% of you always vote “no.” And you are always 100% correct. It’s true – despite a half-century of advances in the way we manage fish and the evolution of catch-and-release, no Illinois angler has been able to match or surpass Ray Easley’s legendary catch.
Ralph Loos: Illinois record largemouth turns 50, much to anglers’ chagrin Read More »
Nobody has to study anything to convince Brock Keayes that Powerton Lake contains monster blue catfish. A few years ago, Keayes turned heads in bait shops and on social media by pulling a 60-pounder out of the central Illinois lake.
Since then, research by an Eastern Illinois University grad student confirmed what many have suspected: Anglers looking for trophy-sized blue catfish may want to focus on the state’s power plant cooling lakes.
Study: Illinois’ cooling lakes have blue cat formula Read More »
More than a few southern Illinois anglers shed a tear last summer when DNR issued a fish salvage order on Little Grassy Lake.
It meant the popular fishing hole would be drawn down so low that the state wanted anglers to take as many fish as possible before it was completely dried out. It also meant Little Grassy was a long way from returning to its glory. But in 2026, the effort to restore the lake has reached an important milestone.
Now a drained lake, southern Illinois’ Little Grassy begins comeback Read More »
Tucked along the scenic Manistee River a few miles northeast of Wellston, Tippy Dam Pond has earned a reputation as one of northern Michigan’s premier destinations for anglers seeking everything from trophy walleyes and hefty channel catfish to hard-fighting smallmouth bass and abundant panfish.
Tippy Dam Pond also holds a special place in Michigan fishing history.
Walleyes, channel cats tops at Tippy Dam Pond in Michigan’s Manistee County Read More »
Columnist Jack Ammerman takes a stab at something each of us who hunt and fish should do at least once each year – he comes clean with a long list of things he “can’t figure out” or “doesn’t understand” or simply “does not know.”
Many of the things on Jack’s list would also be on our list, too, though it’s clear we’re entering an age that is guaranteed to make the list twice as long. I’m talking about Artificial Intelligence, which is supposed to answer questions, not create more.
Ralph Loos: AI is going to raise important questions for hunters regarding fair chase Read More »
Solving one of the biggest wildlife mysteries in the state will take this and that – and a whole lot of help from hunters, trappers and other folks who spend time outdoors
Michigan DNR wants to know: Where are our gray foxes?
Michigan DNR seeks public’s help tracking elusive gray fox Read More »
Lake Sara has long been considered one of south-central Illinois’ hidden fishing gems, and recent fisheries surveys suggest the 640-acre reservoir continues to reward anglers seeking quality largemouth bass while offering consistent action for crappies, white bass, channel catfish and bluegills.
Lake Sara’s bass continue to exceed expectations for south-central Illinois anglers Read More »
Sign up for the Outdoor News Weekly Newsletter and get 2 months of FREE access to OutdoorNews.com – packed with hunting, fishing, and conservation news. No Catch.
This offer includes digital access only (not the printed edition)
We’ve simplified things. Now you only need one password to access all your Outdoor News digital content.
If you hit the help page, follow the directions so you don’t miss out on any of our great content.
Let’s get you reading!
We’ve simplified things. Now you only need one password to access all your Outdoor News digital content.
• Click Continue below.
• You’ll be taken to the OutdoorNews.com sign-in screen.
• Don’t have an account yet? Create one—it’s quick!
• After signing in, click the E-Edition Login button again. When the pop-up appears, just click Continue. You’ll either:
If you hit the help page, follow the directions so you don’t miss out on any of our great content.
We know you love the outdoors—now we want to make OutdoorNews.com the ultimate destination for all things hunting, fishing, and conservation.
Take our brief 3 minute survey to share your thoughts, and help us build the best outdoor website on the planet. As a thank you, we’ll send you a special offer!
Together, we can make OutdoorNews.com even better.
For a limited time, you can get full access to breaking news, all original Outdoor News stories and updates from the entire Great Lakes Region and beyond, the most up-to-date fishing & hunting reports, lake maps, photo & video galleries, the latest gear, wild game cooking tips and recipes, fishing & hunting tips from pros and experts, bonus web content and much, much more, all on your smartphone, tablet or desktop For just a buck per month!
Some restrictions apply. Not valid with other promotions. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. For more information see Terms and Conditions. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. Offer valid thru 3/31/23.
Already a subscriber to OutdoorNews.com? Click here to login.
