Spring starts Monday, and that means the fishing season is underway for many of us out there. If you are looking for the best places to cast a line this fishing season then check out this list of places we found from some outdoor experts!

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If you were to ask me what is the best place to fish in the state of Illinois, I would probably say Lake Michigan because I am from the Chicagoland area, and according to the experts at wildernesstoday.com, I wouldn't be that far off. They created a list called the Best Fishing Locations in Illinois and Lake Michigan is 2nd best on their list, but the top spot belongs to the Mississippi River. Why the Mississippi River? On the site they say...

"While fishing in Illinois, you can test your mettle by landing a jumbo catfish. All it takes is the right bait. During the day, you can scavenge for hidden caves for catfish and then return at night to snatch them when they are feeding...The Mississippi river is both immense and majestic, an earthly paradise for all sport fishing enthusiasts."

They say in the river you can find large and smallmouth bass, Bluegill, Walleye, Northern Pike, Catfish, and many more. So what other spots are on the list?

The list says you should also fish at Heidecke Lake, Lake Springfield, and Devil's Kitchen Lake, to see the complete list for yourself and what you can catch there, click here!

I would love to go with an expert and fish up and down the Mississippi River, as long as that expert doesn't want me to try and catch one of those giant catfish with my bare hards... Where is your go-to place to fish in the Land of Lincoln?

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