Fall Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing Season opens October 6 at select sites*
information provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (September 15, 2018) – The 2018 Illinois Fall Trout Fishing Season opens on Saturday, October 20, at 57 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.
The Fall Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing Season will be available at nine sites beginning on October 6 at locations marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below. Fly fishing anglers can use fly fishing gear to catch and release trout beginning October 6 at the nine sites. No trout may be kept during the fly fishing period, but all anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular fall trout season on October 20.
The IDNR has added four new sites for Fall Trout Fishing in 2018, raising the stocking of rainbow trout to 67,000 fish in the fall season, and approximately that same number for the spring season. The new 2018 Fall Trout Fishing sites are Bauman Lake in Cherry Valley, Casey Park Pond in Casey, Weldon Springs State Park Lake near Clinton, and Belk Park Pond in Edwardsville.
No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from October 1 until the fall trout season opens at 5:00am on October 20. Anyone attempting to take (harvest) trout before the legal harvest season opening will be issued citations.
All anglers—including those using fly fishing gear who intend to release fish caught before October 20—must have a valid 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.
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. For a location near you, check the IDNR website.
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.
NOTE: Not all fall trout sites open at 5:00am on opening day. Anglers are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite trout fishing location prior to the season. For more information about all site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout.
The Illinois catchable trout program is funded by those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps and through the Illinois Fish Management Fund.
The 57 locations that will be open for Fall Trout Fishing Season are listed below.
2018 Illinois Fall Trout Locations
(* Denotes sites open for catch-and-release fly fishing early season)
North Region
- Bureau County: Hennepin Canal Parkway
- Cook County: Axehead Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County: Belleau Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County: Busse Woods North, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County: Green Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County: Wolf Lake, Wm. Powers Conservation Area
- DuPage County: Silver Lake, DuPage County Forest preserve District
- Jo Daviess County: Apple River, Apple River State Park *
- Kankakee County: Bird Park Quarry, Kankakee
- Kankakee County: Rock Creek, Kankakee River State Park *
- Kendall County: Big Lake at Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area
- Lake County: Banana Lake, Lake County Forest Preserve District
- Lake County: Sand Lake, Illinois Beach State Park
- LaSalle County: Illinois and Michigan Canal, Lock 14, La Salle-Peru
- McHenry County: Spring Grove Hatchery Pond
- Ogle County: Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park *
- Rock Island County: Prospect Park
- Warren County: Citizen’s Lake
- Whiteside County: Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls
- Will County: Lake Strini
- Will County: Van Horn Woods
- Winnebago County: Bauman Lake, Cherry Valley
Central Region
- Adams County: Siloam Springs State Park Lake *
- Cass County: Gridley Lake at Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA *
- Christian County: Manners Park Pond, Taylorville Park District
- Clark County: Casey Park Pond, Casey Park District
- Coles County: Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond, Charleston
- DeWitt County: Weldon Springs State Park Lake
- Douglas County: Villa Grove West Lake
- Hancock County: Horton Lake, Nauvoo State Park *
- Macon County: Rock Springs Pond
- Macoupin County: Beaver Dam Lake
- McDonough County: Argyle Lake
- Morgan County: Morgan Lake, Nichols Park, Jacksonville *
- Sangamon County: IDOT Lake, Springfield *
- Sangamon County: Southwind Park Pond, Springfield
- Sangamon County: Washington Park Pond, Springfield
- Shelby County: Forest Park Lagoon, Shelbyville
- Tazewell County: Mineral Springs Park Lagoon
- Vermilion County: Clear Lake, Kickapoo State Recreation Area
South Region
- Bond County: Greenville Old City Lake
- Crawford County: Crawford County Conservation Area Pond #6
- Jefferson County: Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond
- Johnson County: Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake
- Madison County: Belk Park Pond, Edwardsville Park District
- Madison County: Highland Old City Lake
- Marion County: Boston Pond, Stephen A. Forbes State Park
- Massac County: Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park, Metropolis
- Randolph County: Derby Lake, World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta
- Randolph County: Randolph County Lake
- Saline County: Jones State Lake Pond
- St. Clair County: Frank Holten State Recreation Area main lake
- St. Clair County: Jones Park Lake, East St. Louis
- St. Clair County: Willow Lake, Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area *
- Wabash County: Beall Woods Lake, Beall Woods State Park
- Wayne County: Sam Dale State Fish and Wildlife Area Trout Pond
- Williamson County: Devil’s Kitchen Lake
