Illinois fishing licenses now available; trout season opens April 3    

[MARCH 6, 2004]  SPRINGFIELD -- Spring is just around the corner and so is the spring trout fishing season, which opens at 5 a.m. on Saturday, April 3.

"Our spring trout opener is always a great way to begin the new fishing season in the state," said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Joel Brunsvold. "For anglers of all ages, we'll stock more than 60,000 trout in more than 40 bodies of water throughout the state, providing a lot of opportunity and a lot of fun for those who fish for trout this spring."

The trout stocking program in Illinois is made possible through the sale of inland trout stamps to participating anglers. The stamps are available for $6.50 each at Department of Natural Resources offices in Springfield, Chicago, Alton, Bartlett, Benton, Clinton and Sterling; at many municipal, township and county clerks' offices; and at many sporting goods stores and bait shops. In addition, inland trout stamps as well as fishing licenses may be purchased with a credit card on the department's website, http://dnr.state.il.us.

To legally participate in the trout fishing program, anglers must have a valid Illinois fishing license and an inland trout stamp. If anglers choose to buy a 24-hour fishing license, it includes trout fishing privileges for the 24-hour period the license is valid. A license is required unless the angler is under age 16, blind or disabled or is an Illinois serviceman or servicewoman home on leave. Annual fishing licenses now being sold for the 2004 season are valid through March 31, 2005.

[to top of second column in this article]

Anglers may not take trout from any of the stocked sites from March 15 to the opening of the season on April 3 at 5 a.m. Anyone attempting to take trout before the legal opening will be issued a citation. There is a daily possession limit of five fish for the spring trout season.

For more information about the trout stocking program, call the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries at [phone]; via relay service, [phone]; or by TTY, [phone].

Regional stocking sites for the spring catchable trout program:

• Champaign County: Lake of the Woods
• Cook County: Axehead Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
• Cook County: Belleau Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
• Macon County: Rock Springs Pond, Macon County Conservation District
• McLean County: Miller Park Lake in Bloomington
• Sangamon County: Illinois Department of Transportation Lake in Springfield
• Sangamon County: Washington Park Pond in Springfield

[Illinois Department of Natural Resources
news release]

Previous features

• Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ'

• Lincoln College presents 'The Wiz'

• 'The Mikado' to be presented in all its glory

• Mystery surrounding Lincoln sketch

Out and About

• Longer seasonal hours announced for state historic sites
• Ulysses S. Grant home celebrates 100 years of public tours
• 20th annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Days