SPRINGFIELD, IL – The 2018 Illinois Fall Trout Fishing Season opens on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 57 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.

The Fall Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing Season will be available at nine sites beginning on Oct. 6 at locations marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below. Fly fishing anglers can use fly fishing gear to catch and release trout beginning Oct. 6 at the nine sites. No trout may be kept during the fly fishing period, but all anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular fall trout season on Oct. 20.

The IDNR has added four new sites for Fall Trout Fishing in 2018, raising the stocking of rainbow trout to 67,000 fish in the Fall season, and approximately that same number for the Spring season. The new 2018 Fall Trout Fishing sites are Bauman Lake in Cherry Valley, Casey Park Pond in Casey, Weldon Springs State Park Lake near Clinton, and Belk Park Pond in Edwardsville.

No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from Oct. 1 until the fall trout season opens at 5 a.m. on Oct. 20. Anyone attempting to take (harvest) trout before the legal harvest season opening will be issued citations.

All anglers — including those using fly fishing gear who intend to release fish caught before Oct. 20 — 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 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. For a location near you, check the IDNR website at this link: http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx

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

NOTE: Not all fall trout sites open at 5 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.

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

The 57 locations that will be open for Fall Trout Fishing Season are listed below:

2018 Illinois Fall Trout Locations
(* Denotes Sites Open for Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing Early Season)

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, Cook County Forest Preserve District
Cook County: Green Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
Cook County: Wolf Lake, Wm. Powers Conservation Area
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 at Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area
Lake County: Banana Lake, Lake County Forest Preserve District
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
Whiteside County: Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls
Will County: Lake Strini
Will County: Van Horn Woods
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 *
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
Macoupin County: Beaver Dam Lake
McDonough County: Argyle Lake
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
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, Edwardsville Park District
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