Southwest Illinois is heavily populated with bald eagles. Here’s where to find them

There are few places better suited to bald eagle watching than here in the metro-east.

The bald eagle has long been considered a symbol of America, but as of 2024, it is officially solidified as the national bird. Though they were on the verge of extinction due to the effects of DDT, national protections have helped their numbers soar back to a secure population.

According to Bill Rowe, vice president of education for the St. Louis Audubon Society, the white-headed, large-taloned raptors have nesting populations in Illinois, meaning they can be seen year-round. Winter migrations bring even more to the area.

“They are generally the commonest winter raptor on the Mississippi River, all along its course through our area,” Rowe said. “They are found widely elsewhere too, mostly near bodies of water, but the highest numbers are typically right along the river.”

Save Our Eagles, a program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to help protect our national bird, says that Illinois is home to the most wintering eagles in the lower 48 states. Each winter, according to a release from the agency, “more than 3,100 bald eagles winter in at least 27 Illinois counties.”

“The colder the winter, the greater the number of bald eagles that will move down into the metro area,” says Diane Bricmont, board member and volunteer field trip leader for the St. Louis Audubon Society. “In bad winters, especially when there is significant freezing along the Great Lakes, more Eagles move south, looking for open water in which to fish. They gather in bigger numbers at locks and dams, as those areas are kept open for barge traffic.”

Wildlife experts urge birdwatchers to remain a respectful distance from eagles in order to prevent them from fleeing their nests and exposing their young to predators or other hazards.

Here is where to see bald eagles close to and within the metro-east:

Horseshoe Lake State Park, Collinsville

Collinsville’s Horseshoe Lake State Park is one of the last remaining natural lakes in the state of Illinois, with the first human activity recorded around 8,000 B.C., according to Illinois Department of Natural Resources. An average depth of only three feet proves its age and status as a low floodplain lake, and provides eagles with ample opportunity to catch fish in the shallow waters. Look for eagles soaring above the lake, sitting on the ice or resting in the many trees surrounding the lake.

Carlyle Lake, Clinton County

Carlyle Lake is a great place to watch wildlife in general, but in winter, the eagle spotting is excellent. You can see eagles nesting in the trees surrounding the lake. Near the Carlyle Lake Dam you can find eagles taking easy prey as fish wind their way through the Kaskaskia River and into the lake.

Illinois 155, Randolph County

As you travel south down Illinois 155, also known as Bluff Road, limestone cliffs to the left juxtapose a sprawling floodplain to the right. On the tops of trees lining the long road and all along the cliff faces, bald eagles will make their nests or take long rests between hunts. One nesting pair, roughly a mile north of Levee Road in Valmeyer, is said by locals to have nested in the same tree for almost 20 years.

At Salt Lick Point Land And Water Reserve, old mine shafts and rock quarries provide an excellent spot to see eagles as they perch from atop the limestone cliffs. While the population here is relatively small, the cliffs still host an occasional eagle or two, staring down into the valley below.

Melvin Price Lock and Dam, Alton

If you ask any local veteran birdwatcher, they will likely say Melvin Price Lock and Dam is one of the best and surest places to watch bald eagles. There are plenty of viewing platforms leading to the dam and in the nearby Great Rivers Museum to watch the brave birds as they catch fish exiting the turbulent waters of the dam. The Army Corps of Engineers regularly schedules trips to the dam, which are available here.

Great River Road, Alton to Grafton

Dams aren’t the only places to spot eagles in Alton, and the St. Louis Audubon Society and Great Rivers and Routes of Southwestern Illinois recommend looking to the cliffs for eagles. Along the Great River Road, which spans from Alton to Grafton and up to Pere Marquette State Park, eagles make their winter homes and year-round nests in the cliffs that form the idyllic landscape across from St. Louis. You can also spot eagles along the road, especially in and near Grafton, flying across the road in daredevil-fashion or riding the chipped ice of the Mississippi like surf boards as they wait for prey.

Audubon Center at Riverlands, West Alton, Mo.

The Audubon Center at Riverlands is a good place to view bald eagles not just in winter, but year-round. With the convergence of the Missouri and Mississippi forming islands, prairies and wetlands alike, there is plenty of food for the brave birds to choose from and plenty of viewing opportunities for birdwatchers.

This story was originally published January 26, 2025 at 6:00 AM.