information provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (March 11, 2019) – The 2019 Illinois Spring Trout Fishing Season opens on Saturday, April 6, at 58 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state, with four new sites added for this spring. Baumann Lake in Cherry Valley, Weldon Springs Lake in DeWitt County, Casey Park Pond in Casey, and Belk Lake in Wood River have been added for the first time for spring stockings.
The Illinois Catchable Trout Program is funded by those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps. The IDNR stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the spring season and an additional 80,000 trout for the fall season.
No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from March 15 until the spring trout season opens at 5:00am on April 6. Anyone attempting to take (harvest) trout before the legal harvest season opening will be issued citations.
All anglers must have a fishing license and an Inland Trout Stamp, unless they are under the age of 16, blind or disabled, or an Illinois resident on leave from active duty in the Armed Forces. The daily catch limit for each angler is five trout.
For more information on trout seasons and other Illinois fishing opportunities, check the website: 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 DNR Direct toll-free at 1-888-6PERMIT.
For more information about all site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout. Not all sites open at 5:00am on opening day, so anglers are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite sites prior to the opening date. The 58 locations that will be open for spring trout season are listed below:
2019 Illinois Spring Trout Locations
North
- Boone County — Mill Race Ponds, Belvidere
- Bureau County — Hennepin Canal Parkway
- Cook County — Wolf Lake at William W. Powers State Recreation Area, Chicago
- Cook County — Green Lake in Calumet City, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County — Axehead Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County — Belleau Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County — Sag Quarry East, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County — Horsetail Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- DuPage County — Silver Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
- DuPage County — Pickerel Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
- DuPage County— Grove 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, 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, LaSalle
- LaSalle County — Lake Mendota, Village of Mendota
- McHenry County — Lake Atwood, McHenry County Conservation District
- McHenry County — Piscasaw Creek, McHenry County Conservation District
- Ogle County — Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park **
- Rock Island County— Prospect Park, Moline
- Stephenson — Waddams Creek, Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area
- Stephenson — Yellow Creek in Krape Park, Freeport
- Whiteside County — Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls
- Will County — Lake Milliken, Des Plaines Conservation Area
- Winnebago County — Baumann Lake, Cherry Valley (New site for Spring 2019)
- Winnebago County — Four Lakes, Winnebago County Forest Preserve District
Central
- Adams County — Siloam Springs State Park Lake **
- Cass County — Gridley Lake, Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA **
- Champaign County — Lake of the Woods, Champaign Co. Forest Preserve Dist.
- Christian County — Manners Park Pond, Taylorville Park District
- Clark County — Casey Park Pond, Casey (New site for 2019)
- Coles County — Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond, Charleston
- DeWitt County — Weldon Springs Lake, Weldon Springs State Park (New site for Spring 2019)
- Hancock County — Horton Lake, Nauvoo State Park **
- Macon County — Sportsman’s Club Pond, Macon County Conservation District
- McLean County — Miller Park Lake, Bloomington
- Morgan County — Morgan Lake at Nichols Park, Jacksonville **
- Moultrie County — Wyman Lake, Sullivan
- Pike County — Kings Park Pond, Pittsfield
- Sangamon County — Southwind Park, Springfield
- Sangamon County — IDOT Lake, Springfield **
- Sangamon County — Washington Park Pond, Springfield
- Shelby County — Forest Park Lagoon, Shelbyville
- Vermilion County — Clear Lake, Kickapoo State Recreation Area
South
- Jefferson County — Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond
- Johnson County — Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake
- Madison County — Belk Park Pond, Wood River (New site for Spring 2019)
- Marion County — Boston Pond, Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area
- Massac County — Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park
- Randolph County — Derby Lake, Sparta (World Shooting and Recreational Complex)
- St. Clair County — Frank Holten State Park Main Lake
- St. Clair County — Jones Park Lake, East St. Louis
- St. Claire County — Willow Lake at Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area **
- Wabash County — Beall Woods Lake, Beall Woods State Park
- Wayne County — Sam Dale Trout Pond, Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
