Illinois regulations
Smallmouth Bass Regulations in Illinois 2026
Illinois Smallmouth Bass regulations as of 2026-05-08: Status Catch And Release; Season end Jun 15; Season start Apr 1. Sourced from DNR.
Rules (21)
Illinois statewideOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Season opens
- Jun 16
- Season closes
- Mar 31
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
No Statewide Size Limit. In Rivers And Streams And Their Tributaries Statewide, Except For The Mississippi, Ohio (Including The Golconda Marina), Wabash And Illinois Rivers, Calumet River, Lake Calumet Connecting Channel, Calumet Sag Channel And Navigable Portions Of The Grand Calumet River And Little Calumet River, all Smallmouth Bass must be immediately released between April 1 and June 15. In Rivers And Streams And Their Tributaries Statewide, Except For The Mississippi, Ohio (Including Golconda Marina), And Wabash Rivers.
Apple RiverCatch & release
- Status
- Catch And Release
Catch and Release Fishing Only (9)
Calumet RiverCatch & release
- Status
- Catch And Release
- Season opens
- Apr 1
- Season closes
- Jun 15
All Smallmouth Bass Must Be Immediately Released Between April 1 And June 15
Fox Chain O’lakesCatch & release
- Status
- Catch And Release
All Fish must be immediately released between April 1 and June 15
Fox RiverCatch & release
- Status
- Catch And Release
- Max size
- 12"
All Smallmouth Bass must be immediately released between April 1 and June 15 no more than 1 Fish greater than or equal to 12 inches and 2 Fish less than 12 inches
In Rivers And Streams And Their Tributaries Statewide
- Daily bag
- 3 fish
Contain No More Than 3 Smallmouth Bass. In Rivers And Streams And Their Tributaries Statewide, Except For The Mississippi, Ohio (Including The Golconda Marina), Wabash And Illinois Rivers, Calumet River, Lake Calumet Connecting Channel, Calumet Sag Channel
Kane County Forest Preserve District Lakes And PondsCatch & release
- Status
- Catch And Release
Catch and Release Fishing Only (9)
Kankakee River
- Slot min
- 12"
- Slot max
- 18"
Protected Slot Length Limit with no possession of Fish greater than or equal to 12 inches and less than 18 inches
Kishwaukee River And South Branch Of Kishwaukee River And Tributaries
- Min size
- 14"
Pecatonica River And Tributaries
- Min size
- 14"
Pine Creek
- Min size
- 14"
Piscasaw Creek
- Min size
- 14"
Rivers And Streams And Their Tributaries Statewide, Except For The Mississippi, Ohio (Including The Golconda Marina), Wabash And Illinois Rivers, Calumet River, Lake Calumet Connecting Channel, Calumet Sag Channel And Navigable Portions Of The Grand Calumet River And Little Calumet RiverCatch & release
- Status
- Catch And Release
All Smallmouth Bass Must Be Immediately Released Between April 1 And June 15.
Rock River
- Min size
- 14"
Also known as
Smallmouth Bass is also called smallies. Anglers in different regions use different names for the same fish, and the rules on this page apply to all of them in Illinois.
Frequently asked questions
When is Smallmouth Bass season in Illinois?
Smallmouth Bass season in Illinois runs from Apr 1 to Jun 15 per DNR.
What is the size limit for Smallmouth Bass in Illinois?
Minimum size for Smallmouth Bass in Illinois is 14 inches in Kishwaukee River And South Branch Of Kishwaukee River And Tributaries, per DNR. Slot limits or maximum sizes may apply in some zones.
What is the daily bag limit for Smallmouth Bass in Illinois?
Daily bag limit for Smallmouth Bass in Illinois is 3 fish in In Rivers And Streams And Their Tributaries Statewide, per DNR.
Official sources cited
- https://www.eregulations.com/illinois/fishing/regulation-information
- https://www.eregulations.com/illinois/fishing
- https://www.eregulations.com/illinois/fishing/fishing-limits-by-location-h-k
Reference only. Regulations change frequently, often mid-season. Always verify with DNR before keeping a catch. Last verified .