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IDPH Issues Updated Sport Fish
Consumption Advisories
[May 03, 2025]
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois
Department of Public Health (IDPH) has issued its annual update of
advisories related to the consumption of sport fish caught in
Illinois waterways. The advisories are based on routine testing
conducted by the Illinois Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program.
IDPH maintains an interactive Fish Advisory Map that includes
consumption advisories for more than 100 publicly accessible bodies
of water across the state. The advisories detail how frequently
certain types of fish from various waterways can be eaten without
posing a health risk. While there is no known immediate health
hazard from eating contaminated fish from any Illinois water body,
there are concerns about effects of long-term exposure to
polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS), and methylmercury in fish. More information can be found at
Fish Advisories (illinois.gov).
“Fishing in Illinois is a terrific
recreational activity that often leads to delicious and nutritious
meals,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “To make sure those
catches are the safest possible, please visit IDPH’s Fish Advisory
Map to get the most up to date information on Illinois’s consumption
advisories.”
Under this year’s advisories:
Five Illinois bodies of water have been added to the list: Duck
Creek Lake, Schuy-Rush Lake, Rock Run Rookery, Waukegan South
Harbor, and Waverly Lake.
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Advisories for six
bodies of water have been updated. The majority of updates were
associated with mercury and continued PFAS testing, which was
incorporated into statewide monitoring in 2023. Those bodies of
water are: Cedar Lake, Chaminwood Lake, Dongola Lake, Dutchman
Lake, Illinois River, and Wolf Lake and Indian Creek.
Advisories were relaxed in four water bodies: Big Muddy River,
Lake Bracken, Monee Reservoir, and Randolph County Lake.
Additional details on the specific changes can be found at this
link.
In addition to this year’s site-specific updates, a statewide
methylmercury advisory remains in place for all Illinois waters.
The advisory cautions women who are nursing, pregnant, or may
become pregnant, and children less than 15 years of age to eat
no more than one meal per week of predatory fish (e.g., bass,
walleye, salmon).
[Illinois Dept. of Public Health]
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