Illinois Trout season to begin for some this weekend

ADAMS COUNTY, Ill. (WGEM) - Illinois fishermen have a chance to begin their trout fishing at select areas across the state starting Saturday.

Catch and release season begins Saturday, March 18, at Siloam Springs State Park in Adams County and Horton Lake at Nauvoo State Park.

Mike McClelland, chief of fisheries for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said anyone hoping to catch the trout will need a license first.

“If you are sixteen and over, you have to have a fishing license, so a general fishing license and that’s $15,” McClelland said. “And then once trout season begins, to harvest and keep the trout, you have to have an inland trout stamp and that’s $6.50 for that stamp.”

He said some of the lakes and ponds were just stocked this week and are ready to go.

“So, we stock, probably this year about 80,000 pounds and that’s roughly two fish per pound at locations all over the state, 58 total locations,” McClelland said.

He said he estimates over 5,000 trout were stocked at Siloam Springs State Park on Tuesday.

Starting April 1, anglers can keep the trout they catch as long as they have the trout stamp. King Park Pond in Pike County will open the first of the month for fishing as well.

McClelland said anyone going fishing should take note of the specific regulations for each location, such as the catch limit.

Anyone looking to purchase IDNR licenses, permits and stamps can find possible locations to do so here.

More information about the fishing season can be found here.

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