SPRINGFIELD – The 2024 Illinois fall trout season will open Saturday, Oct. 19 at 60 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.

The early catch-and-release season is scheduled to open Oct. 5 this year. No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites until the regular fall season opens at 5 a.m. Oct. 19. The daily catch limit is five trout.

All anglers, including those who participate in the early catch-and-release season, must have an Illinois fishing license and inland trout stamp, which are available at IDNR license and permit locations, including many bait shops, sporting goods stores, and other retail outlets. Check the IDNR website for locations. Fishing licenses and trout stamps can be purchased online with a credit card.

For information about all 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 are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite sites prior to the open date.

The fall trout season offers opportunities for families to get outdoors and enjoy fishing. Online resources are available for taking kids fishing.

IDNR reinstated its catchable trout program in 1994, funded in part by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps. 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. For more information on trout seasons and other Illinois fishing opportunities, visit https://www.ifishillinois.org.

Click here to find the nearest location scheduled to be open for the 2024 fall trout season.