Illinois' Fall Trout Opener is October 21

Looking for a great way to get those adults, youngsters or friends out fishing?  Look no farther then the Illinois Fall Trout Season.  This is a great opportunity to get outside, enjoy the cool breeze and catch some trout.  

The Illinois catchable trout program is funded by those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps. For the fall season, the IDNR stocks approximately 80,000 rainbow trout into bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted.

I grew up trout fishing and still do it today.  Want to know how to catch some trout.  Read some of our other articles "Capitol Outdoors' Tips and Tricks for Inland Trout Fishing"  watch our youtube video - Trout Fishing at Southwind Park Springfield.

Illinois Fall Trout Season Opens October 21

2017 Illinois Fall Trout Locations (*) Denotes Sites Open for Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing Early Season 

The Fall Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing-Only Season Opens October 7 at nine sites

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The 2017 Illinois Fall Trout Fishing Season will open on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 54 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state. 

Two weeks prior to the fall trout opener, the Fall Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing Season will open at nine sites (locations marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below) on Saturday, Oct. 7. Fly fishing anglers can use fly fishing gear to catch and release trout beginning Oct. 7 at those nine sites. No trout may be kept during the fly fishing period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular fall trout season beginning Oct. 21.

The Illinois catchable trout program is funded by those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps. For the fall season, the IDNR stocks approximately 80,000 rainbow trout into bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted.

No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from Oct. 1 until the fall trout season opens at 5:00 a.m. on Oct.21 (not all sites are open at 5:00 a.m. on opening day). 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. 21 – 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:

https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/LPR/Pages/LicensePermitVendors.aspx

Fishing licenses and trout stamps can also be purchased by using a credit card through DNR Direct online via the IDNR website atwww.dnr.illinois.gov, or by calling DNR Direct toll-free at 1-888-6PERMIT (1-888-673-7648).

NOTE: Not all fall trout sites 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. 

The 54 locations that will be open for Fall Trout Fishing Season are listed below.

2017 Illinois Fall Trout Locations

(*) Denotes Sites Open for Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing Early Season 

North

• 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: Sag Quarry East, 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 
• 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 

Central

• 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 
• Coles County: Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond, Charleston 
• 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

• 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: 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