SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The 2020 Illinois Fall Trout Fishing Season opens Saturday, Oct. 17 at more than 50 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.

An early opportunity at select trout sites – the Fall Catch-and-Release Fishing Season – will open Oct. 3 at locations marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below. No trout may be kept during the catch and release fishing period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season beginning Oct. 17.

The Illinois catchable trout program is funded by those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps and the Illinois Fish Management Fund.

No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from Oct. 1 until the fall trout season opens Oct. 17. Anyone attempting to take (harvest) trout before the legal harvest season opening will be issued citations.

All anglers — including those who intend to release fish caught before Oct. 17 — 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. The daily catch limit for each angler is five (5) trout.

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. Check the IDNR website at: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/LPR/Pages/LicensePermitVendors.aspx

Fishing licenses and trout stamps also can be purchased by using a credit card through DNR Direct online via the IDNR website at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr

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 season. For more information about all site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout.

Participants in Fall Trout Fishing Season are reminded to follow current public health directives, including maintaining social distancing guidelines, bringing with them masks in case social distancing cannot be maintained and hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County has not made a final decision on opening for trout season, due to conditions related to COVID-19. Please check the FPCC website at fpdcc.com for updates closer to Oct. 17, 2020.  

The locations that will be open for Fall Trout Fishing Season are listed below:

2020 Illinois Fall Trout Locations (* Denotes Sites Open for Catch-and-Release Fishing Early Season)

North Region Bureau County: Hennepin Canal Parkway Cook County: Wolf Lake, William W. Powers State Recreation Area 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 at Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area Lake County: Sand Lake, Illinois Beach State Park LaSalle County: Illinois and Michigan Canal, Lock 14, La Salle-Peru McHenry County: Spring Grove Hatchery Pond Ogle County: Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park * Rock Island County: Prospect Park Warren County: Citizen’s Lake, Monmouth Whiteside County: Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls Will County: Lake Strini, Romeoville Will County: Van Horn Woods, Plainfield Winnebago County: Bauman Lake, Cherry Valley

Central Region Adams County: Siloam Springs State Park Lake * Cass County: Gridley Lake at 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 Park District Coles County: Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond, Charleston DeWitt County:  Weldon Springs State Park Lake 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 State Park Lake McDonough County: Argyle Lake, Argyle Lake State Park Morgan County: Morgan Lake, Nichols Park, Jacksonville * Sangamon County: IDOT Lake, Springfield * Sangamon County: Southwind Park Pond, 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: Greenville Old City Lake Crawford County: Crawford County Conservation Area Pond #6 Jefferson County: Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond Johnson County: Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake Madison County: Belk Park Pond, Wood River Madison County: Highland Old City Lake Marion County: Boston Pond, Stephen A. Forbes State Park Massac County: Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park, Metropolis Randolph County: Derby Lake, World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta Randolph County: Randolph County Lake Saline County: Jones State Lake Pond St. Clair County: Frank Holten State Recreation Area 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 State Fish and Wildlife Area Trout Pond Williamson County:  Devil’s Kitchen Lake