Welcome to I Fish Illinois—Illinois DNR Division of Fisheries

Come See Us at the Illinois State Fair!

We are excited to introduce the new "hawg" trough we purchased for displaying fish at Conservation World inside the Illinois State Fair. Come visit the IDNR Division of Fisheries to check out this mobile big, new aquarium!

The Division of Fisheries will be on-hand daily, providing fishing clinics and demonstrations throughout the day. There will be bowfishing demonstrations and fishing clinics where participants will gain hands-on experience fly casting. Kids aged 10 and under can try their luck at the fishing pond. In addition, IDNR Fisheries Biologists will be available to answer questions about private pond management and the fish population in your favorite lakes and rivers. We hope to see you there!

See the schedule and map here.

IDNR Division of Fisheries Wishes Dan and Steve a Happy Retirement!

We wish Dan Stephenson, IDNR Chief of Fisheries, and Steve Krueger, Manager of Jake Wolf Hatchery, the best of luck on their well-earned retirement. Dan started with the IDNR Division of Fisheries in 1979, and to quote Dan, "It's been a fun, challenging and incredibly rewarding ride." Dan has been a strong advocate of the Division in both the mission and the people we employee: "You will never find a group so dedicated, hard-working, passionate about the aquatic resource and the people we serve than the Fisheries staff."

Steve Krueger, a 33-year veteran of the IDNR Division of Fisheries, joined Jake Wolf Fish Hatchery in 1985, where he has worked with a tremendous staff at a job he has loved. Fish culture has evolved over the decades at the hatchery, but the one thing that hasn't changed is the dedication of the hatchery crew to the enhancement of the fisheries resource in Illinois. We wish you both the best of luck in retirement. You'll be missed!

Illinois 2018 Record Breakers

We now have FOUR state-record breaking fish caught in 2018!

Congratulations go to:

Johnathan Inman, Freshwater Drum, 38 pounds 4 ounces
Don Lawrence, Shortnose Gar, 6 pounds 15.2 ounces
Kevin Deram, Whitefish, 8 pounds 4 ounces
Ken Krumreich, Redear Sunfish, 3 pounds 1.1 ounces

Be sure to get your fishing license, and get fishing! There are records to be broken! Think you caught a record-breaking fish? See our awards page here to find out what to do to get your fish certified.

Illinois "Access to Fishing" Tackle Loaner Program

Did you know you can borrow fishing gear from select locations if you want to try your hand at fishing before you invest? The Illinois "Access to Fishing" fishing pole loaner program was started in 1997 and is available to any Illinois angler who is interested in going fishing! This equipment is available to be borrowed at no cost and is handled much like checking out and returning a library book. Fishing poles that were purchased by IDNR or donated to the IDNR have been placed in establishments throughout Illinois, such as in libraries, lake-side concession stands, bait stores, etc. Check out the locations here: https://www.ifishillinois.org/programs/loaner.html

Follow IFishIllinois on Social Media

IFishIllinois strives to be your one-stop, go-to site for fishing in Illinois waters. We work hard to keep anglers up to date on fishing events, IDNR angling-related news releases, fishing reports, angling tips and equipment, tips for fish stocking, and much more.

Social media is an excellent way to promote what's happening in angling news throughout Illinois. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date ... because you fish 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.