The 2013 Illinois fall trout fishing season opens on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 43 ponds and lakes throughout the state, including several new locations in Cook, McHenry and Will counties.
Approximately 75,000 trout are stocked by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) prior to the opening of the fall trout season. The Illinois catchable trout program is funded entirely by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps.
Anglers are reminded that no trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from Oct. 1 until the fall trout season opens on Oct. 19 at 5 a.m.
To take trout legally beginning Oct. 19, anglers must have a 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.
Anglers are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite trout fishing location if they plan to go fishing on opening day. While regulations allow trout season to open at 5 a.m. on Oct. 19, not all locations are open that early.
For more information on fall trout season and other Illinois fishing opportunities, visit www.ifishillinois.org.
For more information about all site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout.
The 43 locations are:
Adams County: Siloam Springs State Park, Clayton
Bond County: Greenville Old City Lake (Patriot’s Park Lake)
Bureau County: Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park
Christian County: Manners Park Pond, Taylorville
Coles County: Campus Pond at Eastern Illinois University, Charleston
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 (new location)
Cook County: Wolf Lake at William W. Powers State Recreation Area, Chicago (new location)
Crawford County: Crawford County Conservation Area Pond, Hutsonville
Douglas County: Villa Grove West Lake
DuPage County: Silver Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
Jefferson County: Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond
Johnson County: Ferne Clyffe State Park, Goreville
Kankakee County: Bird Park Quarry, Kankakee
Kendall County: Big Lake at Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area
Lake County: Banana Lake, Lake County Forest Preserve
Lake County: Sand Pond at Illinois Beach State Park North Unit
Macon County: Rock Springs Pond, Macon County Conservation District
Macoupin County: Beaver Dam Lake, Beaver Dam State Park
Madison County: Highland Old City Lake
Marion County: Boston Pond at Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area
Massac County: Fairgrounds Pond at Fort Massac State Park, Metropolis
McDonough County: Argyle Lake at Argyle Lake State Park, Colchester
McHenry County: Spring Grove Hatchery Pond, Spring Grove (new location)
Randolph County: Randolph County State Fish and Wildlife Area Lake
Randolph County: Derby Lake, World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta
Rock Island County: Prospect Park Pond, Moline
St. Clair County: Frank Holten State Recreation Area Lake, East St. Louis
St. Clair County: Jones Park Lake, East St. Louis
St. Clair County: Willow Lake, Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area
Saline County: Jones Lake Trout Pond at Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area
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 at Kickapoo State Recreation Area
Wabash County: Beall Woods Lake at Beall Woods State Park
Warren County: Citizen’s Lake, Monmouth
Wayne County: Sam Dale Trout Pond at Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Whiteside County: Centennial Park Lake in Rock Falls, Coloma Park District
Will County: Lake Strini at Conservation Park, Romeoville (new location)
Will County: Van Horn Woods, Plainfield (new location)
source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources (www.dnr.illinois.gov)