Illinois Fall Trout Season Opens October 21, 2023
Early Catch-and-Release Opportunity Scheduled October 7 at select sites (*see note below)
The 2023 Illinois Fall Trout Fishing Season opens Saturday, October 21st at 59 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.
* Please note that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is warning anglers that warm weather will delay some early stockings this fall.
The early catch-and-release season, scheduled to open October 7th this year, will be stocked later than expected because of forecasted and observed warm water temperatures. Trout stocked in waters warmer than 70 degrees will experience high mortality. IDNR will stock the early catch-and-release sites as soon as water temperatures cool and will provide updates here, so please check back often!
Note: No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites until the regular fall season opens at 5 a.m. Oct. 21. The daily catch limit is five trout.
All anglers, including those who participate in the early catch-and-release season, must have an Illinois fishing license and inland trout stamp, which 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 a.m. on opening day. Anglers are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite trout fishing location prior to the open date.
IDNR reinstated its Catchable Trout Program in 1994. The program is funded in part by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources 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.
2023 Illinois Fall Trout Locations
(* Denotes sites open for catch-and-release early fall season fishing)
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 Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County: Green Lake in Calumet City, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County: Horsetail Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County: Sag Quarry East, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Cook County: Wolf Lake, William W. Powers State Recreation Area, Chicago
- DuPage County: Grove Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
- DuPage County: Pickerel Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
- 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, Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area
- Lake County: Sand Lake, Illinois Beach State Park
- LaSalle County: Illinois and Michigan Canal Lock 14, LaSalle
- McHenry County: Spring Grove Hatchery Pond, Spring Grove
- Ogle County: Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park *
- Rock Island County: Prospect Park, Moline
- Warren County: Citizen's Lake, Monmouth
- Whiteside County: Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls, Coloma Park District
- Will County: Lake Strini, Romeoville
- Will County: Van Horn Woods, Plainfield
- Winnebago County: Baumann Lake, Cherry Valley
Central Region
- Adams County: Siloam Springs State Park Lake *
- Cass County: Gridley Lake, Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA *
- Champaign County: Kaufman Lake, Champaign Park District
- Christian County: Manners Park Pond, Taylorville Park District
- Clark County: Casey Park Pond, Casey
- Coles County: Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond, Charleston
- DeWitt County: Weldon Springs, Welcon Springs State Park
- Douglas County: Villa Grove West Lake
- Hancock County: Horton Lake, Nauvoo State Park *
- Macon County: Rock Springs Pond, Macon County Conservation District
- Macoupin County: Beaver Dam Lake, Beaver Dam Lake State Park
- McDonough County: Argyle Lake, Argyle Lake State Park
- Morgan County: Morgan Lake at Nichols Park, Jacksonville *
- Sangamon County: IDOT Lake, Springfield *
- Sangamon County: Southwind Park, Springfield
- Sangamon County: Washington Park Pond, Springfield
- Shelby County: Forest Park Lagoon, Shelbyville
- Tazewell County: Mineral Springs Park Lagoon, Pekin
- Vermilion County: Clear Lake, Kickapoo State Recreation Area
South Region
- Bond County: Patriot's Park Lake (Greenville Old City Lake)
- Crawford County: Crawford County Conservation Area Pond
- Jefferson County: Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond
- Johnson County: Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake
- Madison County: Belk Park Pond, Wood River
- Madison County: No trout will be stocked during the fall 2023 at Highland Old City Lake in Madison County due to ongoing maintenance. Stocking is expected to resume in fall 2024.
- Marion County: Boston Pond, Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area
- Massac County: Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park, Metropolis
- Randolph County: Derby Lake, World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta
- Randolph County: Randolph County State Fish and Wildlife Area Lake
- Saline County: Jones Lake Trout Pond, Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area
- St. Clair County: Frank Holten State Park 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 Conservation Area Trout Pond