The Rock River is a tributary of the great Mississippi River that flows through Northwestern Illinois and Southwestern Wisconsin, and is widely known as a great destination for the fishing enthusiast.

The Rock River flows through 18 Northwestern Illinois towns: the towns are South Beloit, Illinois; Rockton, Illinois; Roscoe, Illinois; Machesney Park, Illinois; Loves Park, Illinois; Rockford, Illinois; Byron, Illinois; Oregon, Illinois; Grand Detour, Illinois; Dixon, Illinois; Sterling, Illinois; Rock Falls, Illinois; Lyndon, Illinois; Prophetstown, Illinois; Coal Valley, Illinois; Milan, Illinois; Moline, Illinois; and Rock Island, Illinois

Avid fishermen visit any one of these 18 towns to fish the Rock River from shore or from boat. A famous boat landing is situated in the town of Dixon, Illinois, now known as “Dutch Landing.” Political history buffs will know that Ronald Reagan once worked in Dixon as a lifeguard, and his favorite location to fish from was this same spot. Reagan’s nickname was “Dutch” and so the landing was named accordingly.

There are a great number of fish that dwell in the Rock River. Among some of the notable are the white bass, flathead catfish, northern pike, walleye, and bluegill. Grab all of your fishing equipment and head on over to the Rock River for your next fishing trip.