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- Trout fishing in Illinois
Types of Trout in Illinois
Trout fishing spots in Illinois
Best baits and lures for Trout in Illinois
According to catch data from over 20 million anglers on Fishbrain, these are the best baits used to catch Trout.
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Biggest Trout catches
Latest Trout fishing reports in Illinois
Rainbow trout
Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve
length · weight
Rainbow trout
Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve
length · weight
Continue browsing catches and catch locations in the Fishbrain app
Regulations for Trout in Illinois
Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in Illinois can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Rainbow trout as of May 17th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.
Seasons
Bag limit
Min size
Aggregate
No statewide size limit. Daily harvest limit is 5 trout or salmon, either singly or in the aggregate. Statewide regulations are shown herein, but you can access Site-Specific Regulations online.
Catchable Trout Program: Various lakes and streams are annually stocked with catchable size (10-11 inches) trout in the spring or fall. Anglers are prohibited from taking (harvesting) trout at any of the stocking sites before the legal season opening. Spring catchable trout season opens at 5 a.m. on the first Saturday of April and the fall catchable trout season opens at 5 a.m. on the 3rd Saturday of October. In addition to the spring and fall catchable trout seasons,
select locations have an early catch and release trout season beginning 2 weeks prior to the regular opening day (see https://www.ifishillinois.org for locations). All anglers must release any trout caught during the early catch and release trout season. To legally harvest rainbow and/or brown trout from any waters which receive catchable trout or hatchery stockings of trout, licensed sport fishermen must have an inland trout stamp, unless they are under 16 years
of age, blind or disabled, or Illinois residents on leave from the Armed Forces. Other anglers may utilize these waters for other species. They are not excluded from fishing.
Please review Site-Specific Regulations online.
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Regulations for
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FAQ
These species can be found in many rivers and streams, lakes throughout the area. If you are targeting a specific species, you can use the to filter catches by species and see where anglers are catching them and which baits they are using.
The allows anglers to see exact catch locations shared by other members, helping you discover productive fishing spots where Trout have recently been caught.