Illinois' 2014 Spring Trout Fishing Season Opens April 5 at 47 sites

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The 2014 Spring Trout Fishing Season in Illinois will begin at 5 a.m. on Saturday, April 5, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Marc Miller announced today. 

In addition to the 43 bodies of water that have been stocked in the past for spring trout fishing, the IDNR is announcing the opening of four new areas to rainbow trout fishing for the spring of 2014: 

• Pine Lake in the Village of University Park in northeastern Illinois
• Green Lake, Forest Preserve District of Cook County, in southern Cook County
• Wolf Lake at the IDNR William W. Powers State Recreation Area in Chicago
• Lake Mendota in La Salle County

“The Spring Trout Season is always a great time for families to go fishing and catch some tasty trout, and we’re delighted to be able to add several new locations for trout fishing,” said Director Miller. 

The IDNR stocks more than 60,000 rainbow trout each spring in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the spring season.  The Illinois catchable trout program is made possible through the sale of inland trout stamps to those anglers who participate.

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:  http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx

Fishing licenses and trout stamps can also be purchased by using a credit card through DNR Direct online via the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov, or by calling DNR Direct toll-free at 1-888-6PERMIT (1-888-673-7648).
 
To legally participate in the trout fishing program, anglers must have a valid Illinois fishing license and an inland trout stamp.  The annual fishing licenses for the 2014 season are valid through March 31, 2015.  A license is required for fishing in Illinois unless the angler is otherwise exempt (under age 16, blind or disabled, or is an Illinois resident on active military service who is home on leave).

Anglers may not take trout from any of the stocked sites from March 15 to the opening of the season on April 5 at 5 a.m.  Anyone attempting to take trout before the legal opening will be issued citations.  During the spring trout season the daily possession limit for trout is five fish.

While the statewide spring trout season opens at 5 a.m. on April 5, anglers are reminded to check in advance for any site-specific regulations and the opening time of their favorite trout fishing location. 

For more information about the trout stocking program, contact the IDNR Division of Fisheries at 217/782-6424 or check the web site at www.ifishillinois.org.

Stocked sites (by county) for the 2014 Spring Catchable Trout Program:

• Adams County: Siloam Springs State Park Lake
• Boone County: Mill Race Ponds, Belvidere
• Bureau County: Hennepin Canal Parkway
• Cass County: Gurney Road Pond at Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
• Champaign County: Lake of the Woods
• Christian County: Manners Park Pond, Taylorville Park District
• Cook County: Axehead Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
• Cook County: Belleau Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
• Cook County: Sag Quarry East, Cook County Forest Preserve District
• NEW Cook County: Green Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
• NEW Cook County: Wolf Lake, William W. Powers State Recreation Area
• Coles County: Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond in Charleston
• DuPage County: Silver Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
• Grundy County: Gebhard Woods State Park Pond
• Jefferson County: Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond
• Jo Daviess County: Apple River and tributaries
• Johnson County: Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake
• Kankakee County: Bird Park Quarry in Kankakee
• Kankakee County: Rock Creek at 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 at Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park
• LaSalle County: Illinois and Michigan Canal at Utica
• NEW LaSalle County: Lake Mendota, City of Mendota
• Macon County: Sportsman’s Club Pond, Macon County Conservation District
• Marion County: Boston Pond at Stephen A. Forbes State Park
• Massac County: Fairgrounds Pond in Fort Massac State Park, Metropolis
• McLean County: Miller Park, Bloomington Park District
• McHenry County: Lake Atwood, Hollows Conservation Area, McHenry County Conservation District
• McHenry County: Piscasaw Creek
• Moultrie County: Wyman Lake in Sullivan
• Ogle County: Pine Creek in White Pines Forest State Park
• Randolph County: Derby Lake at World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta 
• St. Clair County: Frank Holten State Recreation Area main lake
• St. Clair County:  Jones Park Lake in East St. Louis
• Sangamon County: Southwind Park Pond in Springfield
• Sangamon County: Washington Park Pond in Springfield
• Shelby County: Forest Park Lagoon in Shelbyville
• Stephenson County: Waddams Creek (Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park)
• Stephenson County: Yellow Creek in Krape Park, Freeport
• Vermilion County: Clear Lake at Kickapoo State Recreation Area
• Wabash County: Beall Woods Lake, Beall Woods State Park
• Wayne County: Sam Dale State Fish and Wildlife Area Trout Pond
• Whiteside County:  Centennial Park Lake in Rock Falls, Coloma Park District
• Will County: Lake Milliken at Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area
• NEW Will County:  Pine Lake, University Park
• Winnebago County: Four Lakes Forest Preserve, Winnebago County Forest Preserve District