iFISHILLINOIS
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Division of Fisheries
Your official source for Illinois fishing information
Largemouth Bass Production at Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery
Where It All Begins
Largemouth bass spawning season at the hatchery begins with a turn of a wheel:Â this wheel controls the gate valve, and opening the gate valve drains the pond, making it easier to use nets to remove fish from the pond.
In nature, spawning season begins as soon as the water is warm enough to let the bass know that it’s time, but at Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery, where water levels and temperatures are controlled by humans, it’s a more mechanical process.
2026 Illinois Fishing Regulations Available for Download
Regulations Guide Goes Into Effect April 1, 2026
The 2026 Fishing Regulations Digest is available for download now. This digest goes into effect beginning April 1, 2026.
Notable changes for 2026 include:
• New regulations for Bourbonnais Park District Ponds (new public access in Kankakee County)
• Regulation change for Coffeen Lake crappie
• New regulation for Illinois River Paddlefish
• Largemouth Bass regulation changes for Jim Edgar/Panther Creek SFWA lakes and ponds
• Crappie regulation change for Kinkaid Lake
• New regulations for LaSalle Rotary Park Lake (new public access in Lasalle County)
• New regulations for Lions Lake (new public access in Livingston County)
• Regulation change for Mississippi River (between IL and MO) Walleye/Sauger
• Minimum length limit for Largemouth Bass at Silver Springs State Park was removed
• New regulations for Towne Center Pond (new public access in Will County)
The 2026 Fishing Regulations Digest will be available in print soon and can be downloaded here. The Spanish version will be available soon.
