Illinois Fall Trout Season Opens October 15

Catch-and-Release Early Fall Fishing Opens October 1 at Select Sites *

troutThe 2022 Illinois Fall Trout Fishing Season opens Saturday, October 15th, at 59 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.

An early opportunity at select trout sites — the Fall Catch-and-Release Fishing Season — will open October 1 at locations marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below. No trout can be kept during the catch-and-release fishing period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season beginning October 15th.

Note: No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from October 1st until the fall trout season opens at 5:00 AM on October 15. During the season, the daily catch limit is 5 trout.

The Illinois Catchable Trout Program is funded by those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the fall season. An additional 80,000 trout are stocked for the spring season which begins each April.

All anglers — including those who intend to release fish caught before October 15 — 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.

Illinois fishing licenses and Inland Trout Stamps are available at IDNR license and permit locations, including many bait shops, sporting goods stores and other retail outlets. Check the IDNR website for locations at https://www.exploremoreil.com/agentlocator.

Fishing licenses and trout stamps also can be purchased by using a credit card online at https://www.exploremoreil.com/

For information about site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout. Not all of the fall trout sites listed below open at 5:00 AM on opening day. Anglers are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite trout fishing location prior to the season.

2022 Illinois Fall Trout Locations

(* Denotes sites open for catch-and-release early fall season fishing)

North Region

Central Region

South Region