Chinook Salmon in Illinois
IDNR limits, the state record and Illinois waters for chinook salmon.
- 5 a daylimit
- 37 lbs 0 ozrecord
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Illinois chinook salmon in brief
In the 2026 IDNR digest, chinook salmon sit on the statewide line headed "Trout and Salmon". The row begins: "Daily harvest limit is 5 trout or salmon, either singly or in the aggregate." Where the row caps the catch, the fish on it are counted together.
At 37 lbs 0 oz, the hook and line record came from Lake Michigan (1976). Across 1 water, IDNR listed 964,074 stocked.
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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.
chinook salmon in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan
| 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 state-record chinook salmon
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 37 lbs 0 oz | Lake Michigan | Lake County | August 7, 1976 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
IDNR hatchery chinook salmon by water
| Year | Water as listed | Number | Size class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Lake Michigan | 214,153 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2025 | Lake Michigan | 213,869 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2024 | Lake Michigan | 100,878 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2023 | Lake Michigan | 225,104 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2022 | Lake Michigan | 210,070 | 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.
Relatives of chinook salmon on the IDNR list
- Atlantic Salmon5 a day
- Brook Trout5 a day
- Brown Trout5 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
How the shoreline by Chinook Salmon looks
Photo: Alaina McDavid, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: edward stojakovic, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Robert Lampros, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Short Illinois answers on chinook salmon
How many chinook salmon can go on an Illinois stringer?
The digest row reads 5 combined a day; size: no statewide size limit printed. Individual waters can carry a tighter entry.
Which Illinois lake or river produced the top chinook salmon?
Lake Michigan produced it in 1976: 37 lbs 0 oz. The angler is not printed.
Which Illinois waters hold chinook salmon?
IDNR lists name no water for it that has a page here yet.
Is the chinook salmon rule the same on every Illinois water?
No entry changes its rule by name, but all-fish entries still count.
Which Illinois waters got chinook salmon from IDNR?
In 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, 964,074 across 1 water.
Must a visitor buy a license for Illinois chinook salmon?
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.
Does the Illinois chinook salmon record list count bow fish?
Two: hook and line, and bow and arrow. For it, IDNR shows 1 record row.
Where do IDNR biologists rate chinook salmon?
The IDNR outlooks on these lake pages give it no grade.
Plan an Illinois trip for chinook salmon
Open a lake or river above for launches and local rules.