Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
09/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/01/2026 09:39
Illinois 2026 fall trout season opens Oct. 17 at 60 sites statewide
Early catch-and-release period begins Oct. 3 at select locations
SPRINGFIELD - The 2026 Illinois fall trout fishing season will open Saturday, Oct. 17 at 60 ponds, lakes and streams throughout the state.
An early catch-and-release trout fishing will open at select sites on Saturday, Oct. 3. No trout may be kept during the catch-and-release period. Anglers may begin keeping trout when the regular season opens at 5 a.m. Oct. 17.
The Illinois Catchable Trout Program is funded through the sale of inland trout stamps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year at waters where trout fishing is permitted during the fall season. An additional 80,000 trout are stocked for the spring season, which begins in April.
For the 2026 fall trout season, no trout may be taken from any stocked site before the season opens. During the season, the daily catch limit is five trout. All anglers must have a valid Illinois fishing license and inland trout stamp. Check the IDNR agent locator website for locations. Fishing licenses and trout stamps are also available online.
Anglers should contact individual trout-stocked sites for information about site-specific regulations and opening times. Not all sites open at 5 a.m. on opening day. Anglers are encouraged to check the opening time for their preferred fishing location before Oct. 17.
The fall trout season offers opportunities for families to get outdoors and enjoy fishing. Resources are available for taking kids fishing online. For more information on trout seasons and other Illinois fishing opportunities, visit www.ifishillinois.org .
2026 Illinois fall trout locations
(* donates catch-and-release fishing)
North
Bureau County
Hennepin Canal Parkway
Cook County
Axehead Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
Belleau Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
Busse Woods North Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
Green Lake in Calumet City, Cook County Forest Preserve District
Horsetail Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
Sag Quarry East, Cook County Forest Preserve District
Wolf Lake at William W. Powers State Recreation Area, Chicago
DuPage County
Grove Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
Pickerel Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
Silver Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
Jo Daviess County
Apple River, Apple River Canyon State Park*
Kankakee County
Bird Park Quarry, Kankakee
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
Lake Atwood, McHenry County Conservation District
Ogle County
Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park*
Rock Island County
Prospect Park Lake, Moline
Warren County
Citizen's Lake, Monmouth
Whiteside County
Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls, Coloma Park District
Will County
Lake Strini, Romeoville
Van Horn Woods, Plainfield
Winnebago County
Baumann Lake, Cherry Valley
Central
Adams County
Siloam Springs State Park Lake*
Cass County
Gridley Lake, Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area*
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, Weldon 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*
Southwind Park, Springfield
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
Bond County
Patriot's Park Lake (Greenville Old City Lake)
Crawford County
Crawford County Conservation Area Pond
Jefferson County
Mount Vernon City Park Pond
Johnson County
Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake
Madison County
Belk Park Pond, Wood River
Highland Old City Lake
Marion County
Boston Pond, Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area
Massac County
Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park
Randolph County
Derby Lake, Sparta, World Shooting and Recreational Complex
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
Jones Park Lake, East St. Louis
Willow Lake at Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area*
Wabash County
Beall Woods Lake, Beall Woods State Park
Wayne County
Sam Dale Conservation Area Turkey Run Pond
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency published this content on September 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 01, 2026 at 15:40 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]