Wet a line for summer fishing fun during Illinois Free Fishing Days         

Special events planned for June 8-11

[June 06, 2007]  SPRINGFIELD -- Recreation agencies, park districts, youth groups, civic organizations and fishing clubs throughout Illinois will host a wide variety of fishing derbies, how-to clinics and other special activities as part of the 2007 celebration of Illinois Free Fishing Days, June 8-11. Free Fishing Days allows anyone to fish without a fishing license, inland trout stamp or salmon stamp during the four-day event each June.

"Free Fishing Days is a great way to introduce people to fishing," said Sam Flood, acting director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "Fishing is a great family activity, and there are so many opportunities to cast a line here in Illinois. We appreciate the support of all of the groups that host special events promoting fishing during our Free Fishing Days celebration."

Organizations throughout the state plan special events during Free Fishing Days weekend and at other times during the spring and summer to focus on fishing. While anyone can fish without a license during the four days of Free Fishing Days, anglers fishing in fishing derbies, tournaments and other special events prior to or after Free Fishing Days are required to have a fishing license, unless they are otherwise exempted.

For more information on Free Fishing Days events in Illinois, contact the Department of Natural Resources at 217-782-9990.

A list of some of the 2007 Illinois Free Fishing Days events is below. Note that special group fishing permits may be issued for events on dates other than June 8-11.

[Text from Illinois Department of Natural Resources news release received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]

Illinois Free Fishing Days events

City	Sponsoring organization	Location	Dates	Contact
Altamont	Altamont Lions Club	Mathias Lake	June 9	Lynn Kull 618-483-6323
Antioch	C.J. Smith Resort	C.J. Smith Resort	June 8-11	Melonnie Hartl 847-395-2753

Bath	Redneck Fishing Tournament	Bath	Aug. 4	Betty Deford 309-546-2545
Beardstown	Beardstown Park District	Hard Road Ditch	June 9	Steve Megginson 217-323-2555
Carbon Cliff	Carbon Cliff Bait & Tackle Inc.	Fish Contest	June 8-11	Margaret Pankey 309-792-3460
Carlinville	Carlinville Park District and Lions Club	American Legion Pond	Sept 8	Bernhard Dzafic Jr. 217-854-9231
Carlyle	U.S. Army Corps Engineers	Dam West	June 9	Jody Harris 618-594-2484
Carlyle	U.S. Army Corps Engineers	Dam West Campground	June 8-9	Kim Hammel 618-594-2484
Centralia	BCMW Head Start	Moose Lodge	May 24	Larice Stalls 618-533-4498
Champaign	Champaign-Urbana Optimists Club	Kaufman Park	June 2	Gene Morgan 217-352-0936
Chicago	IDNR William Powers SFWA	William Powers SFWA	June 9	Saki Villalobos 773-646-3270
Chicago	Daily Southtown	Lake Sedwick	June 2	Duke O'Malley 773-586-8206
Chicago	Fishin' Buddies	Chicago River	June 21-22	John Kidd Jr. 773-233-3250
Colchester	Argyle Lake State Park	Argyle Lake State Park	June 9	Bridget Napolitano 309-776-3422
Crab Orchard	U.S. FWS	Images Marina Area	June 9	Mardean Roach 618-998-5933
Dallas City	Dallas City Junior Fishing Association	Recreation Park	May 19	Mark Stevens 309-337-0543
DuQuoin	DuQuoin Jaycees	DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	June 9	William Koonce 618-790-5061
Edwardsville	Edwardsville Gun Club	Edwardsville	June 16	Dewayne Connolly 618-604-5842
Effingham	Girl Scouts-River Bluffs	Camp Wassatoga	June 9	Emily Stanley 1-800-345-6858
Galesburg	Galesburg Youth Fishing Derby	Lincoln Park	May 20	Susan Dutell 309-368-1507
Geneseo	Geneseo Izaak Walton League	Hennepin Canal	June 9	Charlie Palmgren 309-944-1394
Glendale	U.S. Forest Service	Lake Glendale	June 10	Roy Street 618-559-7914
Grafton	IDNR	Pere Marquette State Park	June 2	Scott Isringhaussen 618-786-3323
Granite City	Tri City AMVETS	Granite City	June 9	Pete Marlin 618-791-6913
Greenville	Kingsbury Park District	Patriot's Park Lake	June 9	Jerry Saverwein 618-664-4969

Harrisburg	Harrisburg Park District	Park Lagoon	June 9-11	Connie Moorman 618-252-2111
Highland	Marine Stars and Junior 4-H	Silver Lake Park	June 6	Connie Grapperhaus 618-654-2341
Hodgkins	Santa Fe Prairie Volunteers	Des Plaines River	June 9	Greg Starr 708-598-6139
Hoffman Estates	Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce	South Ridge & Westbury Lakes	June 9	Jill Blodgett 847-781-9100
Lombard	Boy Scout Pack 242	Churchill Woods	June 9	Len Sklaney 630-627-5967
Loves Park	Flatlanders Muskies Inc.	Rock Cut State Park	June 16	Amy Shackleton 815-389-8486
Mapleton	Hollis Park District	Reed City Lake	June 9	George Weers 309-697-2944
Mattoon	Douglas-Hart Nature Center	Center Pond	June 13	Kristin Giglietti 217-235-4644
McHenry	McHenry Recreation	Whispering Oaks Park	June 9	Cynthia Witt 815-363-2160
Mount Carmel	Beall Woods State Park	Beall Woods	June 9	Jacque Hallam 618-298-2441
Neoga	Grace United Methodist Church	Neoga	June 10	Glenn Buskirk 217-895-9907
Ottawa	Better Fishing Association	Buffalo Rock State Park	June 9	Tom Wall 815-223-3671
Plainfield	Plainfield Park District		June 2	Mary Beth Flagg 815-436-8812
Riverton	Village of Riverton	Riverton Pond	June 8-9	Max Shekelton 217-629-9122
Roscoe	Boy Scouts Troop 622	Rock River	June 9	Louise Glon 815-988-9515
Springfield	Bob's Bait and Tackle Springfield Jaycees	DNR Pond -- Fairgrounds	June 9	Bob Baker 217-544-4148
Springfield	Ansar Shrine	DNR Pond -- Fairgrounds	June 16	Ron Turasky 217-632-7819
Thomson	Friends of the Upper Mississippi River	Frog Pond	June 16	Frank Brobender 815-441-5511
Vandalia	Vandalia Sport Fishing & Conservation	Vandalia Lake	June 9	John Blythe 618-283-2475
Villa Park	Villa Park Sportsmen Club	North Terrace Park Pond	June 9	Marty Kapolozynski 630-932-1923
Waukegan	Waukegan Park District	Bevier Park	June 9	Laura Pendergrass 847-782-3621
Wayne	St. Domitilla Church	Pratt Wayne Woods	June 9	Alan Gilbert 708-547-0970
Wayne	Cicero Youth Association	Pratt Wayne Woods	June 9	Alan Gilbert 708-547-0970
Woodstock	McHenry County Conservation District	Broomdale/ Hollows	June 9-10	Sgt. Abraham Martinez 815-338-6223