MOLINE, Ill. — The pond at Prospect Park is now home to around 700 rainbow trout ahead of the spring trout fishing season.
The season is set to open in Illinois on April 1 at 58 locations statewide. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year as part of its Catchable Trout Program, which began in the 1970s.
"These are normally not species that we'd find in Illinois, so it's just a program there to provide that additional species to fish for that wouldn't always be readily available to folks," said Illinois DNR District Fisheries Biologist David Wyffels. "This program, here specifically, is one of the ways a lot of folks are introduced to fishing."
Even though the DNR came to stock the fish in Prospect Park this week, Wyffels stressed that they can't be taken until April 1. He said they want to stock them early so they're able to acclimate.
Some of the trout are produced by the state of Illinois, while others are purchased from another vendor.
"It's been a long tradition that folks like to get out and do," he said. "It just kind of marks the beginning of the opening of fishing season."
The 700 trout now in Prospect Park are roughly 550 pounds and range from seven to 14 inches.
All anglers must have a 2023 fishing license and an Inland Trout Stamp, unless they're under 16 years old, blind or disabled or are an Illinois resident on leave from active duty in the Armed Forces. Each angler can only harvest five trout a day.
Fishing licenses and trout stamps can be purchased online or at IDNR license and permit locations, including many bait shops, sporting goods stores and other retail outlets.
A list of all 58 locations that will be open for trout fishing is available here.