Pool 14 Sand Pits??

I have been told about a area on 14 called the sand pits, anybody know where this is? I can not find it marked as such on any maps or charts.

sand pits ? or dunes ? i think the dunes are accross from albany ramp.

They are down river from Albany. Going from memory about 3 miles or so down on the IL side. Carefull with low water, alittle tricky getting in and out of.

Thanks for the response I have fished the wing dams across from Albany, don’t remember sand dunes on the Iowa side but I wasn’t looking back then. I see five wing dams on the Iowa side below Swan Island. Any body fish thr wing dams in front of the Edison Pier light?

the sand pits are downstream from albany about 2-3 miles and are just upstream of the 3M plant on the IL side. the entrance to both pits is tricky and you should use caution going into them.
the sand dunes could be in a number of places on 14, i know where there are several sand dune like spots on/in the river and some are above albany and some are below.

My father-in-law has tried fishing the sand pits, as they were desribed on the IL side, south of Albany. He said they didn’t get any action in that area, but did get some crappies as they entered and exited that area. What do folks usually target in the pits? (though right now, low flow is probably going to keep folks without an hovercraft out)

They do alot better in high water. Also when the water is dirty,it is cleaner in them. When the fish are in there it`s awsome. bring your leadcore.

I hear this sand pits are good walleye/sauger fishing in the late winter/spring.

Dman, the pits are just upstream from the Commonwealth Edison nuke plant. They grow em big in there. LOL. I believe Consumer’s owns them, basically sand quarries. If you are gonna fish there, do it very early in the morning, especially on weekends. These are popular places for pleasure craft.

Two of Consumer’s pits are right at the lower end of Meridosia slough. Go in the south end of each of these. The lower one has VERY shallow rock/sand across most of the opening, but the South end near shore is deep enough to run big boats through. The upper is all shallow sand on the right going in, but fairly deep on the south end. They are very popular spots for the pleasure armadas, but do hold fish as John M said. Also good bass, crappie, sturgeon, and most anything else fishing. They range from 2-35′ deep, with lots of bigs humps and ridges being the best place to find fish. No current makes them more like lake fishing than river.
There is one more pit south of 3M, just below a large barge unloading terminal (Concrete building). The opening to it is good depth most of the way across, but the center of the opening is best. Watch out for barges coming in and out of any of the pits if you fish the openings. They do not stop for smaller craft, just blow the horn and keep coming! They dredge a lot of sand out of these pits for concrete mix, haul it by barge out and down river.
In my experience, these pits are chock full of bait this time of year, making fishing a little tough, but they do hold some nice fish if you find the trigger. I like to fish them in high current times, and, as John M. stated, when the river is muddied up. Definetly an early morning spot during the summer, unless you want to dodge yachts, tubers, and jet skis.

The lower sand pit is located between mile 509 and 508 on your river map this pit is owned by River Stone Group. I was in there a few weeks ago they are not dredging in there right now. I prefer this pit but only in times of high flow. The other pits are located side by side between 510 and 511. The south pit is owned by Builders co. the north one by River Stone Group. I agree with Tucker on these pits to much bait not worth the effort this time of year. By the end of Sept. the bait starts to pull out. That makes the closing dam and the rock protection on the upstream side of the lower island at the end of meredosia slough a good place to look for big fish. I would suggest sticking to ends of wing dams that have good flow. Early in the morning or at dusk. Good Luck !

jigfan,

I was not aware there where different owners for the upper and lower pits. Do you know who is starting the new one just south of 3M’s property? I assume the same as the pit farther south. What happened to Consumer’s? Where they bought out, name change, or did they not own any of these pits?

Consumers changed names about 4 years ago when they quit making concrete. That stopped when the old hand shake agreement, and not cross the river ended. Now they just do the sand and stone thing. By the way RiverStone{consumers} is the largest land owner in the state of ILL. next to the state of ILL. They also have very large land holdings in MO.as well.

The new pit is going to be land based the last I heard it is also owned by River Stone Group. Is it October yet this lull in fishing is driving me nuts . Bring on fall!

Thanks again for the info on the sand pits! I will get there in Oct thru early Nov. Work will slow down I can get to the river for a few days.

Having just bought a retirement home in Thomson, I was wondering if anyone has tried icefishing for eyes at the sand pits? I think I’ll give it a try once I get moved back there.I know they fish for Crappies during the ice along side Hyw.84. What is the average water depth in the pits?

You can not get there from shore with out trespassing on River Stone’s property. They prosecute all trespassers I would not chance it . There are also springs that boil up through out the upper pit I don’t know how safe the ice would be. Cattail slough or “the perch hole” in Fulton would be better options .

Thanks for the heads up with trespassing issue on River Stone’s property jig fan. Last year when I came back home for a week of hardwater fishing, I stopped and talked with a couple of fella’s who were parked along side of Hyw.84
and were getting ready to fish for crappies in the down trees alongside 84 at the pits.
I don’t know about Cattail Slough for eyes, but the Perch Hole is and has been much too filled in and shallow for eyes for many years and just about anything else.
Has anyone ever asked for permission to fish River Stone’s sand pit area? I got the feeling there’s a few eyes wintering there if there’s any depth to it at all.
With the new retirement home up on RiverView Rd. in Thomson Il. I’ve been studying the river maps in that area, I’m seeing some real potenial spots for eyes thru the ice.

I don’t know of any one that has recieved permision from River Stone to hunt or fish anywhere . It’s a liabilaty thing. There are areas in catail that are 18 ft deep there are walleyes there late into the fall . I personaly have never ice fished cattail but I don’t know why there would not be eyes in there. Last year we had a very thick ice on the river I ice fished just bellow the 136 bridge in Clinton . I pulled one keeper eye out of a hole there and a few drum. we were on twelve inches but there was a open hole just 30 feet away. You have to drill a lot of test holes.