SPRINGFIELD – The 2019 Illinois Fall Trout Fishing Season opens Saturday, Oct. 19 at 57 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.
An early opportunity at select trout sites – the Fall Catch-and-Release Fishing Season – will open Oct. 5 at locations marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below.
No trout may be kept during the catch and release fishing period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season beginning Oct. 19.
The Illinois catchable trout program is funded by those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps and through the Illinois Fish Management Fund.
The IDNR has added one new site for Fall Trout Fishing in 2019 – Kaufman Lake in Champaign – maintaining the stocking of rainbow trout to 67,000 fish in the fall season. Rock Springs Pond in Decatur will be temporarily removed from stocking due to a maintenance project at that site.

No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from Oct. 1 until the fall trout season opens at 5 a.m. Oct. 19. Anyone attempting to take (harvest) trout before the legal harvest season opening will be issued citations.
All anglers – including those who intend to release fish caught before Oct. 19 – must have a valid fishing license and an Inland Trout Stamp, unless they are under the age of 16, blind or disabled, or are an Illinois resident on leave from active duty in the Armed Forces. The daily catch limit for each angler is five (5) trout.
Illinois fishing licenses and Inland Trout Stamps are available at DNR Direct license and permit locations, including many bait shops, sporting goods stores and other retail outlets. Check the IDNR website at: http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx
Fishing licenses and trout stamps also can be purchased by using a credit card through DNR Direct online via the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov.
2019 Illinois Fall Trout Locations
* Jo Daviess County: Apple River, Apple River Canyon State Park *
* Ogle County: Pine Creek, White Pines Forest State Park *
* Whiteside County: Centennial Park Pond, Rock Falls
* Winnebago County: Bauman Lake, Cherry Valley