On a somewhat regular occasion, river fish and lake fish mingle in Des Plaines Lake and the Des Plaines River – but the two popular fishing water bodies should never be confused.
Des Plaines Lake is – both metaphorically and literally speaking – a bulge on the Des Plaines River.
Largemouth still running strong at Des Plaines Lake in northeast Illinois Read More »
The General Assembly packed up and scattered from Springfield after a spring session that gave Illinois sportsmen plenty to dissect, digest, and debate.
Put it this way: Shrugging is close to becoming the equivalent of a secret handshake among hunters, trappers, and anglers. That being said, there were a handful of successes – and at least one failure hunters generally applauded.
Balance in the Illinois wild turkey population is now evident by the top two harvesting counties in what turned out to be a record-setting 2026 spring season.
Jefferson County and Jo Daviess County – counties located on opposite ends of the state – each had a harvest of 646 turkeys, meaning they tied for the top spot. DNR’s report on the season put the total harvest at 20,821, besting the previous record of 18,189 set last spring.
Illinois hunters set new turkey harvest record for third straight year Read More »
Mallard hens outfitted with solar-powered GPS transmitters in Illinois and four other Great Lakes states were monitored over a three-year period to study “ecological and anthropogenic factors affecting movement and population dynamics.”
Simply put, biologists wanted to learn how often mallards move, where they move, why they move, and when they move. That study, conducted by Michigan State University between 2021-2023, is just one example of ongoing efforts by wildlife agencies and Ducks Unlimited to identify factors contributing to mallard declines across the Great Lakes.
Project to boost mallard numbers in Great Lakes states hits Phase Two Read More »
Amid loud and constant chatter about pending price escalations of hunting and fishing licenses and making broad changes to the state’s deer seasons, the decision to increase costs of snowmobile trail permits hit Michigan outdoorsmen like a house fly ramming into a window.
Too silent to even be called a “thud.”
Ralph Loos: Friends and enemies of permit fee hikes both often miss the point Read More »
Another big stocking of redear sunfish took place in Osprey Lake in 2025, continuing an effort to boost fishing in the collection of lakes that make up the Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area.
Redear potential strong on Mautino lakes in northwest Illinois Read More »
I never get tired of thinking about the day I drove to Decatur, Ill., to visit Bob Kerans. His wife answered the door to the house and kindly led me to a room that seemed part fishing museum, part fishing outpost. It was every angler’s dream.
“The tools for assembling lures and flies are stationed and organized appropriately,” is how I described the setting in an article published right here exactly one week later.
Ralph Loos: Illinois youth muskie event sticks tight to Bob Kerans’ aspirations Read More »
DNR’s separate samplings of lake trout in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan last spring and fall yielded very different numbers – but the same response from fisheries biologist who study the fishery.
Things could be better, though the fall spawner survey has been more bright than the spring netting.
Lake trout report shows some signs of rehab in Illinois waters of Lake Michigan Read More »
The single-shot rifle appears to be a thing of the past for Illinois deer hunters.
Assuming Gov. JB Pritzker signs Senate Bill 2756 into law, deer hunters will soon be able to use rifles that hold up to three rounds.
Deer rifle capacity bill passed in Illinois Read More »
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