Illinois fall trout season opens Oct. 19 in locations statewide
 

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[October 08, 2024]    The 2024 Illinois fall trout season will open Saturday, Oct. 19 at 60 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.

The early catch-and-release season is scheduled to open Oct. 5 this year. No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites until the regular fall season opens at 5 a.m. Oct. 19. The daily catch limit is five trout.

All anglers, including those who participate in the early catch-and-release season, must have an Illinois fishing license and inland trout stamp, which are available at IDNR license and permit locations, including many bait shops, sporting goods stores, and other retail outlets. Check the IDNR website for locations. Fishing licenses and trout stamps can be purchased online with a credit card.

For information about all site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout. Not all sites open at 5 a.m. on opening day. Anglers are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite sites prior to the open date.

The fall trout season offers opportunities for families to get outdoors and enjoy fishing. Online resources are available for taking kids fishing.

IDNR reinstated its catchable trout program in 1994, funded in part by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the fall season. An additional 80,000 trout are stocked for the spring season, which begins each April. For more information on trout seasons and other Illinois fishing opportunities, visit https://www.ifishillinois.org.

The 60 locations scheduled to be open for the 2024 fall trout season are below.

2024 Illinois fall trout locations
(** Denotes sites open for catch-and-release early fall season fishing)

Northern Illinois

Bureau County
Hennepin Canal Parkway

Cook County
Axehead Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District

Belleau Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District

Busse Woods North Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District

Green Lake in Calumet City, Cook County Forest Preserve District

Horsetail Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District

Sag Quarry East, Cook County Forest Preserve District

Wolf Lake at William W. Powers State Recreation Area, Chicago

DuPage County
Grove Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District

Pickerel Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District

Silver Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District

Jo Daviess County
Apple River, Apple River Canyon State Park **

Kankakee County
Bird Park Quarry, Kankakee

Rock Creek, Kankakee River State Park **

Big Lake, Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area

Lake County
Sand Lake, Illinois Beach State Park

LaSalle County
Illinois and Michigan Canal Lock 14, LaSalle

McHenry County
Spring Grove Hatchery Pond, Spring Grove
Ogle County

Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park **
Rock Island County

Prospect Park Lake, Moline

Warren
Citizens Lake, Monmouth

Whiteside County
Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls, Coloma Park District

Will County
Lake Strini, Romeoville

Van Horn Woods, Plainfield

Winnebago County
Baumann Lake, Cherry Valley

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Central Illinois

Adams County

Siloam Springs State Park Lake **

Cass County
Gridley Lake, Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area **

Champaign County
Kaufman Lake, Champaign Park District

Christian County
Manners Park Pond, Taylorville Park District

Clark County
Casey Park Pond, Casey

Coles County
Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond, Charleston

De Witt County
Weldon Springs, Weldon Springs State Park

Douglas County
Villa Grove West Lake

Hancock County
Horton Lake, Nauvoo State Park **

Macon County
Rock Springs Pond, Macon County Conservation District

Macoupin County
Beaver Dam Lake, Beaver Dam Lake State Park

McDonough County
Argyle Lake, Argyle Lake State Park

Morgan County
Morgan Lake at Nichols Park, Jacksonville **

Sangamon County
Illinois Department of Transportation Lake, Springfield **

Southwind Park, Springfield

Washington Park Pond, Springfield

Shelby County
Forest Park Lagoon, Shelbyville

Tazewell County
Mineral Springs Park Lagoon, Pekin

Vermilion County
Clear Lake, Kickapoo State Recreation Area

Southern Illinois

Bond County

Patriot’s Park Lake (Greenville Old City Lake)

Crawford County
Crawford County Conservation Area Pond

Jefferson County
Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond

Johnson County
Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake

Madison County
Belk Park Pond, Wood River

Highland Old City Lake

Marion County
Boston Pond, Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area

Massac County
Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park

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

Randolph County State Fish and Wildlife Area Lake

Saline County
Jones Lake Trout Pond, Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area

St. Clair County
Frank Holten State Park Main Lake

Jones Park Lake, East St. Louis

Willow Lake at Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area **

Wabash County
Beall Woods Lake, Beall Woods State Park

Wayne County
Sam Dale Conservation Area Trout Pond

[Illinois Office of Communication and Information]

 

 

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