Consumption Advisory
Locally caught fish are a good source of lean protein and are often rich in other nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and are essential for childhood development. Pregnant and nursing mothers also can pass omega-3s to their infants in-utero and through breastmilk. In some Illinois waters, chemical contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), methylmercury and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can build up in fish and cause harm to people who eat them over extended periods of time.
Illinois issues and regularly updates sport fish consumption advisories to help anglers plan what sport fish to eat and how often it is safe to eat them. As a partner in the State’s Fish Consumption Monitoring Program, Illinois DNR Fisheries regularly collects fish flesh samples (fillets) from waters throughout the state that are analyzed for contaminant levels by the Illinois EPA. The Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) then uses these fish flesh contaminant data to develop and issue consumption advisories for individual fish species and waters in Illinois.
Consumption advisories are based on the type and level of contaminants accumulated in fish fillets and provide a guide to the number of wild-caught fish meals that can be safely consumed by sensitive and nonsensitive populations. Sensitive populations include children younger than 15 years old and women that are pregnant, nursing or of childbearing age. Nonsensitive populations include those 15 years of age or older who can’t become or aren’t planning to become pregnant. Advisories are not intended to discourage anglers from eating fresh fish that they catch but should be used as a guide to eating fish low in contaminants.
IDPH has issued a statewide methylmercury advisory for sensitive populations. Women who are or could someday become pregnant, nursing mothers and children younger than 15 years old may eat up to one meal per week of wild-caught predatory fish (e.g., bass, Sauger, Walleye, Flathead Catfish, Gar, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, trout and salmon) from any Illinois waterbody, unless special methylmercury advisories have been issued.
Illinois Do Not Eat Fish Consumption Advisories
| Illinois Waterbody | Do Not Eat |
|---|---|
| Calumet River, including the Cal Sag Channel, and Little and Grand Calumet rivers from the Cal Sag Channel to the Calumet River (PCBs) | Common Carp – Longer than 12” |
| Chicago River, North and South Branches, North Shore Channel and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (PCBs) | Common Carp – Longer than 12” |
| Des Plaines River, Lockport to the Kankakee River (PCBs) | Common Carp – Longer than 18” |
| Franklin Creek (PFAS) | Black Bullhead, Bluegill, Common Carp, Creek Chub, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and White Sucker – All sizes |
| Galena River (PCBs) | Common Carp – Longer than 24” |
| Herrin Lake #1 (PCBs) | Common Carp – All sizes |
| Lake Depue (PCBs) | Channel Catfish – Longer than 24” |
| Lake Michigan (PCBs) |
|
| Lincoln Trail Lake (Methylmercury) | Largemouth Bass – Longer than 13” |
| Midlothian Reservoir (PCBs) | Common Carp – Longer than 20” |
| Mill Creek Lake (Methylmercury) | Largemouth Bass – Longer than 18” |