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Trout by the thousands – spring season in Illinois opens April 5

Illinois DNR began stocking 80,000 rainbow trout at sites around the state in early March. The catch-and-release trout season opens March 22, while the regular season begins April 5. There is a limit of five trout per angler. (Photo courtesy of USFWS)

The three decades of spring trout fishing in Illinois has remained mostly unchanged — except for the occasional adjustments.
A few sites have been adjusted for the 2025 season, which opens April 5. But otherwise, the summary is similar: DNR has stocked 80,000 rainbow trout at 58 lakes and ponds. And again this year, a catch-and-release fishing season will preclude the regular season by opening March 22.

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