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Illinois regulations

Trout (Brook, Brown, Rainbow) Regulations in Illinois 2026

Illinois trout 2026 open seasons vary by 56 management regions. Statewide rules apply for 5/day. Pick your region in the rule table below. Sourced from DNR.

DNROfficial source

About Trout →

Rules (60)

Illinois statewide
Daily bag
5 fish/day
either singly or in the aggregate with Salmon
Verified · View official source ↗
Apple RiverCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted (9)
Verified · View official source ↗
Argyle LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Fall Closed Season (7)
Verified · View official source ↗
Axehead LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Banana LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Baumann Park LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Beall Woods LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Beaver Dam LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Fall Closed Season (7)
Verified · View official source ↗
Belk Park PondClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Belleau LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Bird Park QuarryClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Boston PondClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Busse LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Fall Closed Season (7)
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Busse Lake SpillwayClosed
Status
Closed
Fall Closed Season (7)
Verified · View official source ↗
Campus Pond – Eastern Illinois UniversityClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Casey Park PondClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Centennial Park PondClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Cermack QuarryClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Citizen’s LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Fall Closed Season (7)
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Clear LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Crawford County State Fish & Wildlife Area PondsClosed
Status
Closed
(Picnic Pond) Fall Closed Season
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Derby LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Daily bag
1 fish
Spring Closed Season (8) 1 Fish Daily Harvest Limit Trout (Derby Lake)
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Fairgrounds Pond – Fort Massac State ParkClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Ferne Clyffe LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Forest Park LagoonClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Four LakesClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Frank Holten LakesClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Glen O Jones Trout PondClosed
Status
Closed
Fall Closed Season (7)
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Green LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Horton LakeCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted (9)
Verified · View official source ↗
Illinois Department Of Transportation LakeCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted (9)
Verified · View official source ↗
Jim Edgar/Panther Creek State Fish And Wildlife Area – Gridley Road LakeCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted (9)
Verified · View official source ↗
Kaufman LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Kent CreekCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Catch and Release Fishing Only (9)
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Lake AtwoodClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Lake MendotaClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Lake MillikenClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Lake Of The Woods & Elk’s PondClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Morgan Lake/Mauvaise TerreCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted (9)
Verified · View official source ↗
Patriot’s Park LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Fall Closed Season (7)
Verified · View official source ↗
Picnic PondClosed
Status
Closed
Daily bag
1 fish
Fall Closed Season (7) 1 Fish Daily Harvest Limit Trout (Picnic Pond)
Verified · View official source ↗
Pine CreekCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted (9)
Verified · View official source ↗
Piscasaw CreekClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Prospect Park PondClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Randolph County LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Fall Closed Season (7)
Verified · View official source ↗
Rock CreekCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted (9)
Verified · View official source ↗
Rock Springs Cattail PondClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Sag Quarry East
Season opens
Mar 15
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Salt Creek Downstream To Arlington Heights RoadClosed
Status
Closed
Fall Closed Season (7)
Verified · View official source ↗
Sam Dale Trout Pond
Season opens
Mar 15
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Sand Pond
Season opens
Mar 15
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Schiller Pond
Season opens
Mar 15
Spring Closed Season (8)
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Siloam Springs LakeCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Season opens
Mar 15
Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted (9) Spring Closed Season (8); Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted (9)
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Silver LakeClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Silver Springs State Fish And Wildlife Area - Big Lake And Area Ponds
Season opens
Mar 15
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗
Willow LakeCatch & release
Status
Catch And Release
Early season Catch and Release Fishing is permitted
Verified · View official source ↗
Wood RiverClosed
Status
Closed
Spring Closed Season (8)
Verified · View official source ↗

Trout on famous Illinois waters

Dedicated rule pages for Trout on the most-targeted destinations in Illinois.

Other Illinois fish regulations

Other regulated species in Illinois with current rule pages — same DNR source, same verification cadence.

Also known as

Trout is also called Trout (Brook, Brown, Rainbow), Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Tiger Trout. 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 Trout season in Illinois?

Trout season in Illinois is set by DNR. Some zones may have specific open windows; see the rule table above.

What is the size limit for Trout in Illinois?

Illinois does not publish a state-wide minimum size for Trout. Check zone-specific rules above.

What is the daily bag limit for Trout in Illinois?

Daily bag limit for Trout in Illinois is 1 fish in Derby Lake, per DNR.

Official sources cited

Reference only. Regulations change frequently, often mid-season. Always verify with DNR before keeping a catch.

← All Illinois fishing regulations