Trout-fishing season to open April 4

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has announced that the 2020 spring trout-fishing season will open April 4 at ponds, lakes and streams in the state. The department stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the season. An additional 80,000 trout will be stocked for the fall trout-fishing season in October. No trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from March 15 until the season opens at 5:00 a.m. April 4. Anyone attempting to harvest 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. Cook County trout fishing locations include Axehead Lake, Belleau Lake, Busse Woods North, Green Lake and Wolf Lake. Collar County trout fishing locations include Silver Lake in DuPage County, Banana Lake and Sand Lake in Lake County, Spring Grove Hatchery Pond in McHenry County, and Lake Strini and Van Horn Woods in Will County. The annual spring catchand-release fishing season will open on March 21. No trout may be kept during the catch- and-release fishing period but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season. Anyone attempting to take trout before the opening of season will be issued citations. For more information visit www.ifishillinois.org.