Today's Best Fishing Times for
Pekin, United States ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸

Solunar
Weather
7-Day
Spots

How to use our fishing calendar

Planning your next fishing trip in Pekin, United States ? Today is a average day for fishing. Our comprehensive fishing almanac combines our popular solunar tables, moon times, sunrise and sunset times, and a 7-day fishing calendar so you always know the best fishing times in your area. We analyse major and minor solunar bite times, rate each day on a five-star scale, and pair it with localized weather forecasts so you can quickly tell whether today is a good day to fish without juggling multiple tabs. Be sure to bookmark this page so you never miss a bite. view bite times...

  • Check our unique Solunar Clock for precise solunar tables and the best moon phases.
  • Use the forecast calendar section to sync bite times with major weather changes.
  • Analyze the forecasted weather conditions, such as wind, barometric pressure and rain to plan your fishing session.
  • Jump to the 7-Day Fishing Calendar for an extended fishing forecast, then explore nearby fishing spots on the interactive map.

Pekin, Illinois offers easy access to productive Central Illinois fishing on the Illinois River, local strip pits, and nearby lakes packed with gamefish. Anglers around Pekin target everything from trophy flathead catfish and river sauger to crappie, bluegill, and bass in city park ponds and reclaimed mine lakes. With diverse water types and year-round action, Pekin is a strong base for multispecies fishing in Tazewell County. read more...

Sun and Moon Times

The sun will be at it's highest point at . Today we have 12:57 hours of daylight. For shallow water fishing the twilight periods are often the most productive fishing times, especially on days when a major or minor time will coincide with twilight. In low light conditions predators have better cover for their ambush and often hunt in shallow water.
  • Nautical Twilight begins:
    Sunrise:
  • Sunset:
    Nautical Twilight ends:
  • Moonrise:
  • Moonset:
  • Moon over:
  • Moon under:
  • Visibility:
    34%
  • Third Quarter Moon - 34% illuminated Third Quarter Moon
Next New Moon in ~6 days on 10th September
  • Distance to earth:
    363,324 km
    Proximity:
    99.5 %
We can compare the current moon distance to it's minimum and maximum distance from earth and express that as proximity. A high proximity means the moon is closer to earth. At 50% it would be at it's mean distance. A high proximity causes big tides, currents and has a direct effect on increased bite times. A proximity greater than 90% indicates a super moon.
Moon Phases for Pekin
New Moon
Thu, 10 Sep
Full Moon
Sat, 26 Sep

Solunar Bite Times

Settings
Display Settings:
  • average Day
12 1 2 3 4 5 AM 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
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Best fishing times:
  • major Time:
    07:08 am - 09:08 am
  • minor Time:
    03:02 pm - 05:02 pm
  • major Time:
    07:28 pm - 09:28 pm
  • minor Time:
    11:55 pm - 01:55 am
All times are displayed in the America/Chicago timezone and are automatically adjusted to daylight savings. The current timezone offset is -5 hours. Green and yellow areas indicate the best fishing times (major and minor). The center shows the current moon phase which is a Third Quarter Moon at 34% lumination. According to the Solunar Theory, today is a average day for fishing, but you need to cross check this with the current weather forecast for a final decision. The next best fishing time ( ) starts in -5 hour and -17 minute. The gray time indicator displays the current local time.
America/Chicago • Sat, 5 Sep 02:50 • 40.568, -89.641
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Current Fishing Weather

Updating Weather Infos...

7 Day Fishing Weather

The weather plays an important role in fishing. Wind strenght and direction often determine where you can fish and where fish might be holding. Although high pressure is usually good for fishing, steep pressure changes often trigger feeding frenzies and are great times for fishing. Of course temperature has also a strong effect on fishing and comfort on the water. So make sure to cross check the weather forecast with the solunar fishing times to determine the best times to go fishing. The graph below shows you the 3 hourly weather progression over the next 7 days. Scroll the graph left or right to see more.
Selected Weather Station: Pekin, US
Temperature
Wave Height
Swell Height
Wind
Pressure
Humidity
Cloudcover
Rain Precipitation
UV Index
Retrieving Weather...

7 Day Fishing Forecast Calendar
Date Major Bite Times Minor Bite Times Sun Moon Moonphase
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R:
S: 		R:
S: 		Third Quarter Moon moon phase
Third Quarter Moon
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R:
S: 		R:
S: 		Third Quarter Moon moon phase
Third Quarter Moon
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R:
S: 		R:
S: 		Waning Crescent moon phase
Waning Crescent
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R:
S: 		R:
S: 		Waning Crescent moon phase
Waning Crescent
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R:
S: 		R:
S: 		Waning Crescent moon phase
Waning Crescent
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R:
S: 		R:
S: 		New Moon moon phase
New Moon
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R:
S: 		R:
S: 		New Moon moon phase
New Moon
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R:
S: 		R:
S: 		New Moon moon phase
New Moon
*bold times indicate best fishing times around sunrise or sunset

Fishing Overview Pekin

Pekin, Illinois fishing is defined by the Illinois River, smaller tributaries, and a network of ponds, strip-mine lakes, and nearby reservoirs. This mix of flowing and still water supports excellent catfish, crappie, panfish, and bass opportunities within a short drive of town. Understanding seasonal patterns and how fish use specific habitat around Pekin is critical for consistent success.

On the Illinois River at Pekin, catfish and sauger dominate the bite most of the year. Spring brings rising water that pushes channel catfish, flatheads, and drum into current breaks—behind wing dikes, along flooded shoreline timber, and at the heads and tails of islands. Use cut shad, nightcrawlers, or dip bait on simple slip-sinker rigs, focusing on seams where fast water meets slack. For sauger and walleye, work 1/4–1/2 oz jigs tipped with minnows or plastics slowly along the bottom on outside bends and below current breaks.

Summer river fishing around Pekin becomes a night and low-light game, especially for big flatheads. Target them with live bluegill or green sunfish on heavy Carolina rigs, placing baits tight to logjams, barge tie-offs, and rock piles in 10–20 feet. During the day, channel cats hold in deeper scour holes below wing dams and at the base of riprap banks; anchor just upstream and fan-cast baits to different depths until you find the active zone.

Pekin’s park lakes and ponds, including small public waters in and around town, fish well from shore. Bluegill and other sunfish stack on riprap, docks, and any visible cover once water warms. A small float with a 1/64–1/32 oz jig tipped with waxworms or pieces of nightcrawler is a staple setup for kids and bank anglers. In the same ponds, largemouth bass relate to weed edges and submerged brush. In spring, work weightless soft plastics and small spinnerbaits along the banks; in summer, shift to early-morning topwaters and Texas-rigged worms along deeper weedlines.

Reclaimed strip-mine lakes near Pekin are typically clear, deep, and structure-heavy. These pits hold quality largemouth bass, crappie, and panfish. Bass often suspend off steep breaks and secondary points; count down medium-diving crankbaits or slow-roll swimbaits to contact the drop-offs. When the sun is high and the bite tough, vertical presentations—drop-shots and Ned rigs—fished on finesse tackle shine in the clear water. Crappie hang around standing timber, brush, and any irregular shoreline contour; use light line, small tube jigs, and minnows to probe different depths until you dial in the school.

Seasonally, March through May is prime for river sauger, walleye, and prespawn catfish, as well as crappie moving shallow in lakes and ponds. Summer offers fast-paced channel cat action on the Illinois River and steady bluegill and bass fishing in smaller waters, provided you focus on dawn, dusk, and overcast days. Fall sees a renewed crankbait and spinnerbait bite for bass and an uptick in river predator activity as baitfish school along current breaks. Even in winter, open stretches of the river can produce sauger and walleye by slowly dragging jigs and blade baits in the deepest, slowest runs.

Across the Pekin area, success comes from matching your tactics to water type: heavier gear and current-oriented rigs on the Illinois River, finesse and depth-control in clear strip pits, and simple floats, jigs, and soft plastics in city ponds. Move often, pay attention to subtle depth changes and current seams, and adjust lure size and color to water clarity for consistently productive fishing around Pekin.

Interactive Fishing Map for the greater Pekin area

We found a total of 40 potential fishing spots nearby Pekin. Below you can find them organized on a map. Points, Headlands, Reefs, Islands, Channels, etc can all be productive fishing spots. As these are user submitted spots, there might be some errors in the exact location. You also need to cross check local fishing regulations. Some of the spots might be in or around marine reserves or other locations that cannot be fished. If you click on a location marker it will bring up some details and a quick link to google search, satellite maps and fishing times. Tip: Click/Tap on a new area to load more fishing spots.

Coopers Island - 1.35295309336km , Pekin Lake - 2.15718669984km , Meyers Lake - 2.29659880946km , Dead Lake (historical) - 2.64131857934km , Sunset Hills Dam Number 1 - 3.58711799146km , Sunset Hills Dam Number 2 - 3.81928573575km , Sunset Hills Golf Course Lake Dam - 3.82633653618km , Lutticken South Pond Dam - 4.36838508084km , Home Lake Dam - 4.40597166485km , Lutticken Lake Dam - 4.65482594278km , Waheld Pond Dam - 4.88522846035km , Lamarsh Creek - 4.9943955052km , Lake Wahelo - 5.05682511422km , Powerton Cooling Lake Dam - 5.06984245986km , West Branch Lamarsh Creek - 5.39607609232km , East Branch Lamarsh Creek - 5.39607609232km , Birkey Lake Dam - 5.71184172974km , Pond Lily Lake - 6.36923561267km , Peoria Lock and Dam - 7.35750301273km , Mackinaw River - 7.96029253717km , Lake Wildwood Dam - 8.00896978448km , Bessler Lakes - 8.17641184748km , Bessler Lake Dam - 8.36647085286km , Grand Oaks Lake Dam - 8.58411313704km , Lake of the Whispering Oaks Dam - 8.58411313704km , Little Lamarsh Creek - 8.74815967996km , Northern Oaks Lake Dam - 9.11833186129km , Hollis Park Dam - 9.20526108389km , Kingston Lake - 9.4921387522km , Lake Bloomington Dam - 10.4866065292km , Lake Lancelot Dam - 11.24470809099km , Largent Creek - 11.60082437212km , Lake Lancelot - 11.83837506905km , Lake Camelot Dam - 11.91164401095km , Kerfoot Creek - 12.60852932614km , Ferry Lake Slough - 12.83157243201km , Farm Creek - 13.16024042835km , Dempsey Creek - 13.31858898318km , Brown Slough - 13.84733792431km , Dillon Creek - 13.86161124558km

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