Information on Illinois River (Hogeye Run)
Rating: II+
TDCR:
Location: The put in is located at a bridge over the river just
behind the "Hogeye Mall", a convienience store near
the intersection of Hwy 265 and
Hwy 156 (aka Hogeye Rd.). From Fayetteville,
take 265 to Hogeye either from the Cato Springs
exit or from the Greenland I-540 exit. Hwy 156 can
be accessed from the West Fork exit as well. The main
takeout is reached by driving north (toward Fayetteville)
on Hwy 265 from the Hogeye Mall. The second marked county
road on the left takes you to an old iron bridge across the
river (this road is labeled as Orr Rd. on Google
Maps. The first county road left (labeled Kinzer Rd)
will also take you to a slab across the river to cut off
a mile of the trip or to serve as a low water put-in,
but you miss some great rapids either way.
Topo Quad(s): West Fork, Strickler
Gradient: 14 fpm
Length: 4 mi.
Season: FLOOD
Gauge: The run takes a lot of rain to get it going and it drops
out pretty quickly. It runs when Fall Creek is running, so
the USGS gauge for Baron Fork at Dutch Mills
may be a good predictor if rain is widespread (look for
over 3.5 feet and rising). Also check the Illinois R. at Savoy
gauge. 5 to 6 feet on this gauge and
rising fast can be a good sign. However there are 25+ miles
and a ton of watershed between Hogeye and Savoy, so the
correlation is not really that good.
Hazards: Trees, strainers, and some barbed wire near the creek.
Description: When West Fork gets pounded with rain, it's not a bad idea
to drive the 15 minutes from Fayetteville to Hogeye to
check out this great little class II+ run. If the creek
looks like it can be boated without scraping at the put-in
near Hogeye Mall, it's good to go. But it gets better and
better with more water! When the gravel bars under the
iron bridge at the takeout are under and the rapid
upstream of the bridge looks like two big riverwide ledge
holes, hang on to your hat! Though the gradient appears
somewhat anemic, the run tends to pool up and then drop
over ledges, making for terrific surfing at higher levels.
At optimal levels, there are six to seven terrific surfing
spots, though finding good eddies gets more problematic as
the water rises. When the water's really cooking, it's
mostly "catch on the fly" time on some honest-to-god BIG
waves. At the slab bridge (possible takeout) a long ledgy
section produces some nice spin holes, and another half
mile downstream, a sloped ledge generates a powerful hole
for spins and tricks. The rapid just above the iron bridge
is the biggest drop, and at certain water levels, it's
holes can be difficult to exit. However, if you swim there
(and a few have!), just get your boat to the right bank at
the bridge and crawl up to your vehicle! Beginners should
watch out for some tricky maneuvering through trees in a
few places, and, needless to say, it's no place for
beginners when the water is high.
Return to Index