Brown Trout in Illinois
brown trout under the 2026 IDNR digest.
- 5 a daylimit
- 36 lbs 11.5 ozrecord
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What IDNR prints about brown trout
Open the 2026 digest to "Trout and Salmon" for the Illinois brown trout rule. The digest wording starts with "Daily harvest limit is 5 trout or salmon, either singly or in the aggregate." Everything named on that row shares one total where a limit applies.
The hook and line entry reads 36 lbs 11.5 oz, Lake Michigan, 1997. Stocking rows add up to 593,301 in 1 water.
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| Row as printed | Daily | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Trout and Salmon | 5 (combined) | no statewide size limit printed |
Daily harvest limit is 5 trout or salmon, either singly or in the aggregate.
IDNR 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR) page 10, read November 4, 2026.
How Lake Michigan entry treats brown trout
| Species as printed | Rule as printed |
|---|---|
| Trout and Salmon | 10 inch Minimum Length Limit; 5 Fish Daily Harvest Limit, singly or in the aggregate, except for Lake Trout |
Lake Michigan rules and stamps
IDNR Lake Michigan fishing page and Lake Michigan entry of the 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR), read November 4, 2026.
Illinois record-book brown trout
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 36 lbs 11.5 oz | Lake Michigan | Cook County | June 22, 1997 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
The brown trout stockings IDNR listed
| Year | Water as listed | Number | Size class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Lake Michigan | 105,744 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2025 | Lake Michigan | 119,196 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2024 | Lake Michigan | 126,578 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2023 | Lake Michigan | 118,023 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2022 | Lake Michigan | 123,760 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
IDNR fish stocking table on ifishillinois.org (year, water, species, size class and number as listed; no stocking dates published), read November 4, 2026.
More Prairie State species near brown trout
- Atlantic Salmon5 a day
- Brook Trout5 a day
- Chinook Salmon5 a day
- Coho Salmon5 a day
- Lake Trout5 a day
- Pink Salmon5 a day
- Rainbow Trout5 a day
- Steelhead5 a day
- Tiger Trout5 a day
The ponds and rivers around Brown Trout, photographed
Photo: Alaina McDavid, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Christian Collins, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Village of Oak Lawn, CC BY 2.0
Chasing brown trout across the Prairie State: answers
What is the Illinois daily limit for brown trout?
5 combined a day under the statewide row; no statewide size limit printed. A water's own digest entry may tighten that.
Where did the Illinois brown trout record come from?
The hook and line mark is 36 lbs 11.5 oz (Lake Michigan, 1997). No angler is named on the IDNR list.
Which statefishingspots Illinois pages mention brown trout?
No Illinois lake page lists it at this point.
Does the digest print special brown trout rules anywhere?
No site-specific entry names it, though all-fish entries such as pole limits still apply.
Is brown trout in the IDNR stocking table?
The table shows 593,301 in 1 water (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026).
Which Illinois license covers brown trout?
Anglers 16 and older carry an Illinois fishing license ($15 a year for residents, $31.50 for nonresidents in 2026). The digest also requires the $6.50 Salmon Stamp to take salmon or trout in Lake Michigan. Taking trout from other Illinois waters needs the $6.50 Inland Trout Stamp.
How does IDNR split its brown trout records?
Hook and line records, plus a separate bow and arrow list. IDNR lists 1 record row for it.
Which IDNR outlook grades mention brown trout?
It is not graded in any IDNR lake outlook on this site.
Find brown trout near your Illinois base
Start from a water above for its IDNR ramps.