Ill. fall trout season to open Oct. 15

ILLINOIS (KFVS) - The 2022 Illinois fall trout fishing season will open Saturday, October 15 at 59 ponds, lakes and streams across the state.

According to the state of Illinois, you will have an early opportunity at some trout sites to begin fishing on Oct. 1. They said no trout may be kept during the catch-and-release period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season.

The Illinois Catchable Trout Program is funded through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps.

According to a release from the state, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources 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.

Some southern Illinois locations for trout fishing include:

Jefferson County - Mount Vernon Game Farm Pond
Johnson County - Ferne Clyffe State Park Lake
Massac County - Fairgrounds Pond, Fort Massac State Park
Saline County - Jones Lake Trout Pond, Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area

See a full list of fishing locations in Illinois here.

Fishing licenses and trout stamps can be bought with 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 sites open at 5 a.m. on opening day. Anglers should confirm the opening time of their favorite sites prior to the open date.