Illinois fall trout fishing season opens Oct. 15

SPRINGFIELD - The 2022 Illinois fall trout fishing season will open Saturday, Oct. 15, at 59 ponds, lakes and streams throughout the state.

An early opportunity at select trout sites, the fall catch-and-release fishing season, will open Oct. 1. No trout may be kept during the catch-and-release period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season beginning Oct. 15.

The Illinois Catchable Trout Program is funded by those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the fall season. An additional 80,000 trout are stocked for the spring season which begins each April.

For the 2022 fall trout season, no trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites until the season opens at 5 a.m. Oct. 15. During the season, the daily catch limit is five trout. For more information, visit www.ifishillinois.org.

The fall trout season offers opportunities for families to get outdoors and enjoy fishing. Resources are available for taking kids fishing at https://www.ifishillinois.org/Kids_Fishing/kidsfishing.html.

All anglers, including those who intend to release fish caught before Oct. 15, must have an Illinois fishing license and Inland Trout Stamp, which are available at IDNR license and permit locations, including many bait shops, sporting goods stores and other retail outlets. Check the IDNR website for locations at https://www.exploremoreil.com/agentlocator.

Fishing licenses and trout stamps also can be purchased with a credit card online at https://www.exploremoreil.com/.

For information about site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout. Not all sites open at 5 a.m. on opening day. Anglers should confirm the opening time of their favorite sites prior to the open date.

2022 Illinois fall trout season locations

(**Denotes sites open for catch-and-release early fall season fishing)

Hennepin Canal Parkway

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

Grove Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District

Pickerel Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District

Silver Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District

Apple River, Apple River Canyon State Park **

Bird Park Quarry, Kankakee

Rock Creek, Kankakee River State Park **

Big Lake, Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area (SFWA)

Sand Lake, Illinois Beach State Park

Illinois and Michigan Canal Lock 14, LaSalle

Spring Grove Hatchery Pond, Spring Grove

Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park **

Prospect Park Lake, Moline

Citizen's Lake, Monmouth

Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls, Coloma Park District

Lake Strini, Romeoville

Van Horn Woods, Plainfield

Baumann Lake, Cherry Valley

Siloam Springs State Park Lake **

Gridley Lake, Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA **

Kaufman Lake, Champaign Park District

Manners Park Pond, Taylorville Park District

Casey Park Pond, Casey

Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond, Charleston

Weldon Springs, Weldon Springs State Park

Villa Grove West Lake

Horton Lake, Nauvoo State Park **

Rock Springs Pond, Macon County Conservation District

Beaver Dam Lake, Beaver Dam Lake State Park

Argyle Lake, Argyle Lake State Park

Morgan Lake at Nichols Park, Jacksonville **

IDOT Lake, Springfield **

Southwind Park, Springfield

Washington Park Pond, Springfield

Forest Park Lagoon, Shelbyville

Mineral Springs Park Lagoon, Pekin

Clear Lake, Kickapoo State Recreation Area

Patriot's Park Lake (Greenville Old City Lake)

Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond

Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake

Belk Park Pond, Wood River

Highland Old City Lake

Boston Pond, Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area

Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park

Derby Lake, Sparta (World Shooting and Recreational Complex)

Randolph County State Fish and Wildlife Area Lake

Jones Lake Trout Pond, Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area

Frank Holten State Park Main Lake

Jones Park Lake, East St. Louis

Willow Lake at Peabody River King SFWA**

Beall Woods Lake, Beall Woods State Park

Sam Dale Conservation Area Trout Pond