apple river smallmouth bass

apple river dragon fly

When people even mention the driftless area, the first thing that comes to mind is the world class trout fishing found throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. With that being said, the warm water fish of the driftless area sometimes aren’t even considered as an afterthought. But, the locals who pursue the smallies and pike in the driftless area know the potential and are maybe all too happy not to spread the word on this untapped resource.  Spend a few minutes thumbing through one of my new favorite blogs “The Young Man and the Stream” and you will see some seriously awesome driftless trout reports, but also Luke has a knack for sneaking in some total kick ass smallie fishing reports.

apple river canyon state park

Illinois also contains a tiny piece of the driftless area in its far northwest corner. Not as widely talked about or as well know, probably due to the absence of trout, but breathtaking in its own right. Running a stones throw from Galena (a popular tourist destination) flows the Apple River. The vast majority of this watershed is located in Jo Daviess County and eventually the Apple becomes a tributary of the Mississippi just south of the city of Hanford, Illinois. This little river has long time been a favorite of members of the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance and for a good reason. Not only is the some of the most breathtaking scenery in the entire state, but this river is an absolute smallmouth bass factory.

a fishy stretch on the apple river outside galena

The Apple River Canyon State Park is a real gem with nearly 2000 acres for visitors to enjoy camping, fishing, and hunting. Here you can become acquainted with some of the massive limestone cliffs that this area is known for. For anyone who is a resident of Illinois and doesn't do much traveling, this area of the state could look quite alien. Its worth a look for anyone who will be visiting the Galena area but believe me, the Apple river packs enough punch to stand on its own to feet.This should be considered as a top destination for anyone wanting to pursue smallmouth bass in the Prairie State. While a lot of the fish will be on the smallish side, there are some real pigs hidden in its deep blue water pools. The Apple River is also one of the stocking sites where the DNR will plant trout in the spring, but with temps rising well past the 70's in the summer don't expect holdovers.

the smallmouth of the apple river are plentiful