Welcome to I Fish Illinois—Illinois DNR Division of Fisheries

Illinois Fall Trout Stocking Update

Due to cooler weather conditions throughout much of Illinois, many inland trout lakes will be stocked in time for the October 18 fall season opener. Only fourteen lakes, located in central/southern Illinois, will have delayed stocking schedules, and all of these remaining lakes will be stocked by Saturday, October 25.

All anglers who participate in trout fishing 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.

The updated list of stocked sites for the opener and those to be stocked by the 25th can be found here.

2026 Fishing Tournament Applications

Mark your calendars — applications for the 2026 tournament season will be accepted beginning November 1, 2025. As a reminder, if your tournament includes fewer than 20 participants, you do not need to have an IDNR Fishing Tournament Permit but must contact the IDNR Site directly to confirm your tournament date at that IDNR Site.

All tournament applications are reviewed on a "first come, first serve" basis. No tournament applications will be valid until 12:00AM on November 1. All application communication is done electronically. If you have a gmail address, be sure to add ifishillinois.org to your address book as gmail sends all of the donotreply@ifishillinois.org emails to spam.

Site Note: No tournaments can be held on Spring Lake South for 2026 as it will be closed due to a road project.

Mississippi River Announcement

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, announces the closure of the Park-N-Fish Recreation Area, located near Hull, Illinois, off Highway 106, starting July 7. The closure is anticipated to last through 2026.

This temporary closure is necessary to facilitate construction of a Fish Passage Improvement Project at Lock and Dam 22, which will improve fish migration and support a healthier river ecosystem.

During the closure, the recreation area and access to the spillway will be unavailable to the public. For more information, contact the Muscatine Ranger Station at 563-263-7913.

Frequently Asked Questions

We are here to answer any fishing-related questions you may have. Simply send us an email through our "contact us" and we are happy to provide you with the information you're seeking. We also have a Frequently Asked Question page that you may find helpful. We've compiled a list of some of our most frequently asked questions via email and provided that information for you here. Check it out — you may learn something new about fishing in Illinois!

Stop the Spread of Invasive Species

Remove, Drain, Dry: As the boats come out of storage, we'd like to remind you to be aware of invasive species that pose a threat to our lands and waterways. To fight the spread of aquatic invaders, the IDNR is asking residents to "be a hero transport zero." The best way to stop the spread of invasive species is to remove, drain, and dry your boats after use in any Illinois waterway. Learn more here.