Morgan Lake Spring Trout Season Opens at Jacksonville's Nichols Park

Spring trout fishing season is approaching across Illinois, and the state's Department of Natural Resources is working to restock locations with catchable fish, including one right here in Jacksonville. The City of Jacksonville's Parks & Lakes Department announced the opening of Morgan Lake's spring trout season on March 23, with the lake at Nichols Park serving as Morgan County's designated site in the statewide program.

The 2026 Illinois spring trout fishing season will open Saturday, April 4, at 59 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state. An early opportunity, the spring catch-and-release season, opened Saturday, March 21. No trout may be kept during the catch-and-release period, but anglers can keep trout after the regular season begins April 4. The daily harvest limit for each angler is five trout. A separate IDNR-attributed report placed the statewide site count at 58; the discrepancy has not been officially reconciled.

The Illinois Catchable Trout Program is funded through the sale of inland trout stamps, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the spring season. All anglers, including those who intend to release fish caught before April 4, must have a fishing license and an inland trout stamp, unless they are younger than 16, blind or disabled, or are an Illinois resident on leave from active duty in the Armed Forces.

For the 2026 spring trout season, no trout may be taken from any stocked sites between March 14 and the season opening at 5 a.m. April 4. Not all sites are open for the catch-and-release season, and not all sites open at 5 a.m. on opening day. Anglers planning to fish Morgan Lake should confirm access details with the City of Jacksonville's Parks & Lakes Department before heading out.

Several locations are new or returning to the stocking program this year. In McHenry County, spring trout stocking will be returned to Lake Atwood. In Macon County, spring trout will be stocked in Cattail Pond at Rock Springs Conservation Area. In Wayne County, spring trout will be stocked at Turkey Run Shelter Pond at Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, as the trout pond there continues to undergo rehabilitation; signs directing anglers to the temporary site will be posted. In Adams County, trout will be stocked in the Moorman Park pond for both the spring and fall seasons.

Beyond Morgan Lake, central Illinois anglers have several nearby options. In Cass County, Gridley Lake at the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area and King Park Pond in Pike County are also participating in the program. Springfield has three locations: IDOT Lake, Southwind Park, and Washington Park Pond. Other central Illinois sites include Kaufman Lake and Lake of the Woods in Champaign County, Manners Park in Taylorville, Wyman Lake in Sullivan, Forest Park Lagoon in Shelbyville, and Clear Lake at Kickapoo State Recreation Area in Vermilion County.

All anglers must possess a valid fishing license and an inland trout stamp. Fishing licenses and trout stamps can be purchased online using a credit card. For Morgan Lake-specific details, including exact stocking dates and any site access rules, contact the City of Jacksonville's Parks & Lakes Department directly.