SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The 2023 Illinois spring trout fishing season will open Saturday, April 1, at 58 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) said at select sites, the spring catch-and-release fishing season will open March 18. No trout may be kept during the catch-and-release fishing period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season beginning April 1.
IDNR stocks over 80,000 rainbow trout every year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted. An additional 80,000 or so will be stocked for the fall season, which begins in October.
The Illinois Catchable Trout Program receives funding support from those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps.
For more information on trout seasons and other Illinois fishing opportunities, check the website at ifishillinois.org.
Central Illinois Sites Include:
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
Lake of the Woods, Champaign County Forest Preserve District
Christian County
Manners Park, 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
Hancock County
Horton Lake, Nauvoo State Park**
Macon County
Sportsman’s Club Pond, Macon County Conservation District
McLean County
Miller Park Lake, Bloomington
Morgan County
Morgan Lake at Nichols Park, Jacksonville**
Moultrie County
Wyman Lake, Sullivan
Pike County
King Park Pond
Sangamon County
Illinois Department of Transportation Lake, Springfield**
Southwind Park, Springfield
Washington Park Pond, Springfield
Shelby County
Forest Park Lagoon, Shelbyville
Vermilion County
Clear Lake, Kickapoo State Recreation Area
**Denotes sites open for catch-and-release early spring season fishing
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