IDNR News Bits

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, IDNR, shares the following items of interest:

New License Year Begins April 1: Illinois fishing, hunting and sportsman’s combination licenses and stamps for 2017 are available from DNR Direct license and permit vendors, online through the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov or by calling 1-888-6PERMIT (1-888-673-7648). 

The 2017 licenses and stamps are valid through March 31, 2018, unless otherwise noted. 

Two Weekends for Spring Youth Turkey: New for 2017, the Illinois spring youth turkey season is open two weekends in both the South and North zones: March 25-26 and April 1-2.  

Spring youth turkey season county permits are available over-the-counter from IDNR license/permit vendors.  

For information about spring turkey hunting, check the IDNR website at https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/TurkeyHunting.aspx.

Fishing Information Booklet: The 2017 Illinois Fishing Information guide is available at many IDNR license and permit vendor locations, and in PDF format online at this link: http://www.ifishillinois.org/regulations/2017_Fishing_Guide%20.pdf. 

Regulations in the guide are effective from April 1, 2017, through March 31, 2018.  

Spring Trout Season Opens April 1: The 2017 spring trout fishing season in Illinois is scheduled to open at 5 a.m. on Saturday, April 1. 

The catchable trout program is made possible through the purchases of inland trout stamps by those anglers who participate.  

Unless they are exempt, anglers must have a valid Illinois fishing license and an inland trout stamp to legally possess trout. 

Catch-and-release fly fishing for trout will open at nine locations on March 18.  

Details about spring trout fishing locations can be found at http://www.ifishillinois.org/programs/trout_stocking.html.