Illinois fall trout fishing season opens Oct. 19

Provides great opportunity to teach kids to fish at 43 locations statewide

[September 30, 2013]  SPRINGFIELD -- The 2013 Illinois fall trout fishing season opens Oct. 19 at 43 ponds and lakes throughout the state, including several new locations in Cook, McHenry and Will counties.

"Autumn is a great season to spend time outdoors, and fishing for tasty trout is a great family activity," said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller. "The Fall Catchable Trout Season is one way we encourage youth, families and anglers of all ages to spend some time fishing in Illinois."

Just prior to the opening of the fall trout season, approximately 75,000 trout are stocked by IDNR at the locations listed below. The Illinois catchable trout program is funded entirely by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps.

Anglers are reminded that no trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from Oct. 1 until the fall trout season opens on Oct. 19 at 5 a.m.

To take trout legally beginning Oct. 19, anglers must have a fishing license and an inland trout stamp, unless they are under the age of 16, blind or disabled, or are an Illinois resident on leave from active duty in the Armed Forces. The daily catch limit for each angler is five trout.

Anglers are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite trout fishing location if they plan to go fishing on opening day. While regulations allow trout season to open at 5 a.m. on Oct. 19, not all locations are open that early.

For more information on fall trout season and other Illinois fishing opportunities, check www.ifishillinois.org.

Illinois fishing licenses and inland trout stamps are available at DNR Direct license and permit locations, including many bait shops, sporting goods stores and other retail outlets.

Fishing licenses and trout stamps can also be purchased by using a credit card through DNR Direct online via the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov or by calling toll-free, 1-888-6PERMIT (1-888-673-7648).

For more information about all site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout. The 43 locations are:

• Adams County: Siloam Springs State Park, Clayton

• Bond County: Greenville Old City Lake (Patriot’s Park Lake)

• Bureau County: Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park

• Christian County: Manners Park Pond, Taylorville

• Coles County: Campus Pond at Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

• Cook County: Axehead Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District

• Cook County: Belleau Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District

• Cook County: Busse Woods North Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District (new location)

• Cook County: Wolf Lake at William W. Powers State Recreation Area, Chicago (new location)

• Crawford County: Crawford County Conservation Area Pond, Hutsonville

• Douglas County: Villa Grove West Lake

• DuPage County: Silver Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District

• Jefferson County: Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond

• Johnson County: Ferne Clyffe State Park, Goreville

• Kankakee County: Bird Park Quarry, Kankakee

• Kendall County: Big Lake at Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area

• Lake County: Banana Lake, Lake County Forest Preserve

• Lake County: Sand Pond at Illinois Beach State Park North Unit

• Macon County: Rock Springs Pond, Macon County Conservation District

• Macoupin County: Beaver Dam Lake, Beaver Dam State Park

• Madison County: Highland Old City Lake

• Marion County: Boston Pond at Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area

• Massac County: Fairgrounds Pond at Fort Massac State Park, Metropolis

• McDonough County: Argyle Lake at Argyle Lake State Park, Colchester

• McHenry County: Spring Grove Hatchery Pond, Spring Grove (new location)

• Randolph County: Randolph County State Fish and Wildlife Area Lake

• Randolph County: Derby Lake, World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta

• Rock Island County: Prospect Park Pond, Moline

• St. Clair County: Frank Holten State Recreation Area Lake, East St. Louis

• St. Clair County: Jones Park Lake, East St. Louis

• St. Clair County: Willow Lake, Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area

• Saline County: Jones Lake Trout Pond at Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area

• Sangamon County: Southwind Park, Springfield

• Sangamon County: Washington Park Pond, Springfield

• Shelby County: Forest Park Lagoon, Shelbyville

• Tazewell County: Mineral Springs Park Lagoon, Pekin

• Vermilion County: Clear Lake at Kickapoo State Recreation Area

• Wabash County: Beall Woods Lake at Beall Woods State Park

• Warren County: Citizen's Lake, Monmouth

• Wayne County: Sam Dale Trout Pond at Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

• Whiteside County: Centennial Park Lake in Rock Falls, Coloma Park District

• Will County: Lake Strini at Conservation Park, Romeoville (new location)

• Will County: Van Horn Woods, Plainfield (new location)

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

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