Illinois Fall Trout Stocking Update

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

IDNR reinstated its Catchable Trout Program in 1994. The program is funded in part by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps. IDNR stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the fall season. An additional 80,000 trout are stocked for the spring season, which begins each April.

Note: For the 2025 fall trout season, no trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites until the season opens at 5:00 a.m. October 18. During the season, the daily catch limit is five trout.

All anglers, including those who intend to release fish caught before October 18, 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. Check the IDNR website for locations at https://www.exploremoreil.com/agentlocator.

Fishing licenses and trout stamps also can be purchased by using a credit card online at https://www.exploremoreil.com/

For information about site regulations, anglers should contact individual sites that will be stocked with catchable-size trout. Not all of the fall trout sites listed below open at 5:00 a.m. on opening day. Anglers are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite trout fishing location prior to the open date.

 

2025 Illinois Fall Trout Locations Stocked by Opening Day (October 18)

Bond County

  • Patriot’s Park Lake (Greenville Old City Lake)

Bureau County

  • Hennepin Canal Parkway

Cook County

  • Axehead Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
  • Belleau Lake, Cook County Forest Preserve District
  • Busse Woods North 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 at William W. Powers State Recreation Area, Chicago

Champaign County

  • Kaufman Lake, Champaign Park District

Christian County

  • Manners Park Pond, Taylorville Park District

Clark County

  • Casey Park Pond, Casey

Coles County

  • Eastern Illinois University Campus Pond, Charleston

De Witt County

  • Weldon Springs, Weldon Springs State Park

Douglas County

  • Villa Grove West Lake

DuPage County

  • Grove Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
  • Pickerel Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District
  • Silver Lake, DuPage County Forest Preserve District

Jo Daviess County

  • Apple River, Apple River Canyon State Park

Johnson County

  • Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake

Kankakee County

  • Bird Park Quarry, Kankakee
  • Rock Creek, Kankakee River State Park

Kendall County

  • Big Lake, Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area

Lake County

  • Sand Lake, Illinois Beach State Park

LaSalle County

  • Illinois and Michigan Canal Lock 14, LaSalle

Macon County

  • Rock Springs Pond, Macon County Conservation District

Madison County

  • Belk Park Pond, Wood River
  • Highland Old City Lake

Marion County

  • Boston Pond, Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area

Massac County

  • Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park

McDonough County

  • Argyle Lake, Argyle Lake State Park

McHenry County

  • Spring Grove Hatchery Pond, Spring Grove
  • Lake Atwood, McHenry County Conservation District

Ogle County

  • Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park

Rock Island County

  • Prospect Park Lake, Moline

Sangamon County

  • Southwind Park, Springfield
  • Washington Park Pond, Springfield

Shelby County

  • Forest Park Lagoon, Shelbyville

St. Clair County

  • Willow Lake at Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area

Vermilion County

  • Clear Lake, Kickapoo State Recreation Area

Wabash County

  • Beall Woods Lake, Beall Woods State Park

Warren

  • Citizens Lake, Monmouth

Wayne County

  • Sam Dale Conservation Area Trout Pond

Whiteside County

  • Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls, Coloma Park District

Will County

  • Lake Strini, Romeoville
  • Van Horn Woods, Plainfield

Winnebago County

  • Baumann Lake, Cherry Valley

 

Trout lakes with delayed stocking (all stocked by October 25)

Adams County

  • Siloam Springs State Park Lake

Cass County

  • Gridley Lake, Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area

Hancock County

  • Horton Lake, Nauvoo State Park

Macoupin County

  • Beaver Dam Lake, Beaver Dam Lake State Park

Morgan County

  • Morgan Lake at Nichols Park, Jacksonville

Sangamon County

  • Illinois Department of Transportation Lake, Springfield

Tazewell County

  • Mineral Springs Park Lagoon, Pekin

Crawford County

  • Crawford County Conservation Area Pond

Jefferson County

  • Mount Vernon Veterans Memorial Park (note the site change from Mount Vernon Game Farm, which is undergoing renovations)

Randolph County

  • Derby Lake, World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta
  • Randolph County State Fish and Wildlife Area Lake

Saline County

  • Jones Lake Trout Pond, Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area

St. Clair County

  • Frank Holten State Park Main Lake
  • Jones Park Lake, East St. Louis