Prairie State Wire

Due to potential flooding in the Metro East region, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is revising its trout stocking plans for the upcoming spring trout season. The department will forego stocking Frank Holten State Park's Main Lake to prevent fish loss to the Mississippi River should flooding occur.

As an alternative, IDNR plans to stock trout at alternative sites in the area. These locations include Jones Lake in East St. Louis, Willow Lake in New Athens, and Belk Park Pond in Wood River.

The Illinois spring trout fishing season is scheduled to start on Saturday, April 5, 2025, across varied lakes, ponds, and streams throughout Illinois. Every spring, IDNR stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout in locations where fishing is allowed. A similar number will be stocked for the fall trout season starting in October.

This initiative is part of the Illinois Catchable Trout Program, which benefits from funding through the sale of inland trout stamps. Interested anglers can purchase fishing licenses and trout stamps online via credit card payments. Additional details on the trout seasons and other fishing opportunities in Illinois are available at ifishillinois.org.