Trout Season opens April 4

The 2015 Illinois spring trout fishing season opens on Saturday, April 4 at 46 ponds, lakes and streams throughout the state.

Fisherman can try their luck at the trout pond in the Saline County Fish and Wildlife Area, though it is not stocked in the spring, only in the fall.

The Illinois catchable trout program is funded entirely by those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps. The IDNR stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the spring season.

No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from March 15 until the spring trout season opens at 5 a.m. on April 4. Anyone attempting to take trout before the legal harvest season opening will be issued citations.

All anglers must have a 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 trout.

For more information on trout seasons and other Illinois fishing opportunities, check the website at www.ifishillinois.org.

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. For a location near you, check the IDNR website at this link: http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx

Fishing licenses and trout stamps can also be purchased by using a credit card through DNR Direct online via the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov, or by calling DNR Direct toll-free at 1-888-6PERMIT (1-888-673-7648).