I've been wanting to go collecting around Champaign/Urbana since I moved up here ten years ago, but haven't had a penny to throw at a seine or minnow-trap. Now that I do, I'm realizing I haven't properly researched the area to find good places to sample! It's a very sparse area when it comes to bodies of water (I don't think champaign country has any natural lakes or ponds, only man-made) and most of what we see are just farm drainage, choked with vegetation from the farm runoff, and devoid of much life.

But I've heard of a few gems. I know the Boneyard Creek has some promising species, despite it's foul reputation. I believe it runs into the upper branch of the saline river, which runs into the Vermilion river. I've heard of greenside darters, longear sunfish, and some species of suckers and shiners coming out of the Boneyard. The problem is, it's largely hard to access, with much of it having entirely vertical sides, or being underground. There is a very accessible part which runs through the middle of the University of Illinois engineering quad, but I'm not sure if I'm legally allowed to sample on the university's property.

Other than that, most small streams are very hit or miss. One I know of is near a local (manmade) lake, and since there is a no-return policy on carp in the lake, fishermen often just turn and throw them into the stream. For this reason, I have at times seen huge groups of carp, and rarely seen much else.

Any tips on sampling spots would be much appreciated, and if there's anyone in the area that would like to meet up, I'd be more than willing.

Josh H

My first native tank was put together while I was a student at the U of I, it was one of my favorite parts of college. I went south and a bit east of town and caught a good selection of fish in the Embarras River (pronounced, I seem to recall, as Em-brah). I know that down by Hindsboro there is a state park and nature preserve along the river, but we accessed it much closer to town. I don't think that we were much further south than Philo, and we just drove around checking out bridges on the farm roads until we found the ones where the local kids had beaten paths from the road shoulder down through the weeds to the deep pools around the cement bridge supports. You could probably do it even more quickly these days with Google earth and some time to kill.

We saw bass, several kinds of sunfish, chubs, shiners, bullheads, and even the occasional pickerel. I remember being pleasantly surprised considering that the "river" was pretty heavily impacted by agriculture.

Good luck and have fun.

Thanks for the info! It turns out that the Embarras (yes, pronounced either Ambraw or Embraw) starts just north of where I am in Savoy, right in the south end of campus. It pours into a pond on University property, and I fished there for quite awhile before being informed it was not actually open to the public. I was very pleased to catch Northern Longears near the mouth of the stream, so I may fish the other side of it if I ever desire to catch more.

When you were down south in the Embarras, what were the beds like? Were there any places with sand or gravel bottoms, or was it mostly silt and mud?

Josh H

I've been wanting to go collecting around Champaign/Urbana since I moved up here ten years ago, but haven't had a penny to throw at a seine or minnow-trap. Now that I do, I'm realizing I haven't properly researched the area to find good places to sample! It's a very sparse area when it comes to bodies of water (I don't think champaign country has any natural lakes or ponds, only man-made) and most of what we see are just farm drainage, choked with vegetation from the farm runoff, and devoid of much life.

But I've heard of a few gems. I know the Boneyard Creek has some promising species, despite it's foul reputation. I believe it runs into the upper branch of the saline river, which runs into the Vermilion river. I've heard of greenside darters, longear sunfish, and some species of suckers and shiners coming out of the Boneyard. The problem is, it's largely hard to access, with much of it having entirely vertical sides, or being underground. There is a very accessible part which runs through the middle of the University of Illinois engineering quad, but I'm not sure if I'm legally allowed to sample on the university's property.

Other than that, most small streams are very hit or miss. One I know of is near a local (manmade) lake, and since there is a no-return policy on carp in the lake, fishermen often just turn and throw them into the stream. For this reason, I have at times seen huge groups of carp, and rarely seen much else.

Any tips on sampling spots would be much appreciated, and if there's anyone in the area that would like to meet up, I'd be more than willing.

You're in central Illinois, we are dominated by ag buffered waterways - habitat lacks heterogeneity, water is crap stained, banks are unstable, and most are lined with Phalaris...there's no getting around that. Since most believe these are simply farm ditches devoid of much life, channel complexity and substrate change almost yearly since they're treated as such.





Two streams shown above from central IL contain some 20 species each and depict the usual. You’re in a county with the richest natural history in the state, not to mention the presence of four rivers’ headwaters. Pick up a gazetteer and drive around. You’re in the degraded grand prairie....you're going to lose your shoes

I was very pleased to catch Northern Longears near the mouth of the stream, so I may fish the other side of it if I ever desire to catch more.

Without pictures, I'd assume these are all Central Longear being this far downstate.

Edited by natureman187, 08 August 2011 - 07:42 PM.

I guess I just need encouragement since I moved up from Effingham County, and the difference in number of forested areas and natural streams is stark to say the least. Regardless, I've seen clear evidence over the years of life where most assume there is none. While you can't see the fish from above the surface, you can definitely see the herons that frequent these ditches/streams, and I think it's safe to assume their presence is not coincidental.

As far as the longears are concerned, you're probably right that they're central. They do display some traits of the northerns, but it widely varies and is never really full-on. Next time I catch one, I'll be sure to post some pictures. I also need to pick up a copy of the newest Peterson's guide.

Again, thanks a ton for the info.

Josh H

A trip report of my first sampling trip can be found Here.

Josh H

A trip report of my first sampling trip can be found Here.

Josh H

My wife and I should be able to help you find collecting spots in and near Champaign County. There are a number of good locations. These include Jordan Creek near Homer which has a number of darter species and other creek fish. It is one of the most heavily studied water bodies in the world, being the source of many publications by the Illinois Natural History Survey. Stony Creek near St. Joseph has several darters, shiners, and other stream fish. The Middle Fork of the Vermilion River has many darters including the state endangered bluebreast darter, madtoms, shiners, and other stream fish. The Mackanaw River system near Bloomington also has a number of shiners, madtoms, and other stream fish.

There have been a series of publications titled Fishes of Champaign County that cover sampling for the past 100 years. The most recent was in 1996 and includes a listing of streams and other water bodies and the fish that occur in them. It is available at http://www.inhs.uiuc...on=list&id= 360 You can contact me directly at pnixon@illinois.edu for additional information and to possibly set up a collecting trip or two.

Phil Nixon

Thanks for the info Phil. Especially on the publication, that's the sort of thing I could really use. We'll definitely have to get together sometime for a trip.

I was stomping around in the Embarras east of Tolono on saturday, and while I wasn't equipped to do much sampling, I saw quite a few of what I assume were madtoms. I'm thinking they may be brindled madtoms due to the blotchy patterns and relatively small size (2-3 inches approximately) though I don't know enough about the species or the specific waterways to be certain. I'm looking very forward to getting a dipnet and seine and returning to some of these areas to do some sampling of non-game fish.

Speaking of the Embarras: Phil, do you know of the small pond at windsor and first in Champaign? I know it's university property, and earlier this year had a very, very uncomfortable discussion with some UofI police about how it was not open to the public, but have been told by NRM students that it is open to the public. Do you know what the deal is with that particular body of water?

Now that it's getting colder, I'm assuming my sampling season is going to be winding down. If I don't get the right gear before this season ends, I'll at least be more prepared when spring hits next year.

Josh H

Josh,
The Embarras is a pretty neat river with a fair amount of access. I've not spent a ton of time in the Embarras but low water seems to be a must when sampling there.
The madtoms as you described are probably Brindled as they were common in the times I've sampled.

I wouldn't call the sampling season over just yet and if I get some free time this fall, we'll have to meet up somewhere between and sample some streams. I'll admit that I've been extremely busy with work and family this year and simply have not had the time to get in the water as much as I'd like.

Access to the Embarras or Kaskaskia around here is easy as it gets. It's all surrounded by farmland, and so it's super easy to find crossings, pull over, and hop in. I tell you, looking under train tresses is interesting. You see a good portion of old history just laying in the riverbed.

I'm up for a trip anytime.

Josh H

The pond at First and Windsor in Champaign has been heavily used by anglers. There is a small parking lot at First and Windsor primarily for anglers. My understanding is that this is University of Illinois property and they don't mind people fishing there. They get quite upset about people driving up to the pond, which commonly happens. I think that the Illinois Natural History Survey has been doing some fish surveys in the pond and adjacent river. So if you were out there with a dip net or seine, they were probably upset about that. I drive by there twice each day as it is on my way to and from work. There is almost always someone fishing there. I've noticed less of it during the last few months, so maybe they have changed their policy.

My wife and I have several seines and dipnets and a minivan that we use as our fishing car. Perhaps you, Uland, and us can set something up in the near future. Uland is correct in there being plenty of fishing time left this fall. I wimp out when the temperatures get below 50 degrees F, but that won't be for a while.

There is some excellent collecting in the Mackinaw River system in McLean County southeast of Bloomington. There's lots of red shiners and hornyhead chubs as well as sunfish. That might be a location that is closer to Uland.

Phil Nixon

Heck yes. We could probably get Blake, Lance, Mark and anybody else that wants to come.

There is some excellent collecting in the Mackinaw River system in McLean County southeast of Bloomington. There's lots of red shiners and hornyhead chubs as well as sunfish. That might be a location that is closer to Uland.

I'm pretty sure there's no need to travel out of Urbana for Hornyhead Chubs and any small, preferably ag buffered, trib of the Sangamon or Kaskaskia will have Red Shiners.
There's plenty of us locally to keep you from running all over the state. You'll have to come visit us Uland