The daily harvest limit for each angler is five trout.
The Illinois Catchable Trout Program receives funding support by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the spring season. An additional 80,000 trout will be stocked for the fall trout season, which begins in October.
New for 2025: In McHenry County, spring trout will be stocked into Rush Creek Pond in Harvard due to ongoing construction that will prohibit stocking at Lake Atwood in McHenry County.
The Illinois Catchable Trout Program receives funding support by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the spring season. An additional 80,000 trout will be stocked for the fall trout season, which begins in October.
New for 2025: In McHenry County, spring trout will be stocked into Rush Creek Pond in Harvard due to ongoing construction that will prohibit stocking at Lake Atwood in McHenry County.
In Macon County, spring and fall trout will continue to be stocked in Cattail Pond at Rock Springs Nature Center for the foreseeable future and not at Sportsmans Club Pond.
In Wayne County, spring trout will be stocked at Turkey Run Shelter Pond at Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area because the trout pond continues to undergo rehabilitation. Signs directing anglers to the temporary site will be posted.
Due to the threat of flooding in the Metro East area, the IDNR adjusted the trout stocking plan to ensure a successful opening weekend of the spring trout season. Frank Holten State Park's Main Lake was not stocked with trout as originally planned because of the possible loss of fish to the Mississippi River should flooding occur at the park. Additional trout were stocked in Jones Lake, Willow Park Lake, and Belk Park Lake.
For information about all site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout. Not all sites are open for trout catch-and-release season and not all sites open at 5 a.m. opening day.
The spring trout season offers opportunities for families to get outdoors and enjoy fishing. Resources are available online for taking youth fishing. All anglers must have a fishing license and an inland trout stamp unless they are younger than 16, blind or disabled, or are an Illinois resident on leave from active duty in the Armed Forces.
Fishing licenses and trout stamps can be purchased by using a credit card online.
2025 Illinois Spring Trout Locations
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Boone County
- Mill Race Ponds, Belvidere
- Hennepin Canal Parkway
- Axehead Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
- Belleau 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, 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
- Sand Lake, Illinois Beach State Park
- Illinois and Michigan Canal Lock 14, LaSalle
- Lake Mendota, Village of Mendota
- Rush Creek Pond, McHenry County Conservation District
- Piscasaw Creek, McHenry County Conservation District
- Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park
- Prospect Park, Moline
- Waddams Creek, Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park
- Yellow Creek in Krape Park, Freeport
- Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls
- Lake Milliken, Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area
- Baumann Lake, Cherry Valley
- Four Lakes, Winnebago County Forest Preserve District
CENTRAL ILLINOIS
Adams County
- Siloam Springs State Park Lake
- Gridley Lake, Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
- Kaufman Lake, Champaign Park District
- Lake of the Woods, Champaign County Forest Preserve District
- Manners Park, Taylorville Park District
- Casey Park Pond, Casey
- Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond, Charleston
- Weldon Springs, Weldon Springs State Park
- Horton Lake, Nauvoo State Park
- Rock Springs Cattail Pond, Macon County Conservation District
- Miller Park Lake, Bloomington
- Morgan Lake at Nichols Park, Jacksonville
- Wyman Lake, Sullivan
- King Park Pond
- IDOT Lake, Springfield
- Southwind Park, Springfield
- Washington Park Pond, Springfield
- Forest Park Lagoon, Shelbyville
- Clear Lake, Kickapoo State Recreation Area
Jefferson County
- Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond
- Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake
- Belk Park Pond, Wood River
- Boston Pond, Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area
- Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park
- Derby Lake, World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta
- Main Lake, Frank Holten State Park
- Jones Park Lake, East St. Louis
- Willow Lake, Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area
- Beall Woods Lake, Beall Woods State Park
- Turkey Run Shelter Pond, Sam Dale State Fish and Wildlife Area