Chapter 515 — FISH

(515 ILCS 5/1-55) (from Ch. 56, par. 1-55) Sec. 1-55. Minnow. "Minnow" means any fish in the family Cyprinidae except common carp (Cyprinus carpio), goldfish (Carassius auratus), and Asian carp [bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), grass…

(515 ILCS 5/1-60) (from Ch. 56, par. 1-60) Sec. 1-60. Mussel devices. "Mussel devices" includes any rake, fork, crow-foot bar, dredge, or air breathing device described as follows: (i) rake or fork: any rake or fork with forks or tines used for collecting or assembling mussels; (…

(515 ILCS 5/1-65) (from Ch. 56, par. 1-65) Sec. 1-65. Mussels. "Mussels" means and embraces any fresh water mussel or the shell of a mussel. (Source: P.A. 87-833.)

(515 ILCS 5/1-70) (from Ch. 56, par. 1-70) Sec. 1-70. Person. "Person" includes the plural "persons", females as well as males, and shall extend and be applied to clubs, associations, corporations, firms, and partnerships as well as individuals. (Source: P.A. 87-833.)

(515 ILCS 5/1-75) (from Ch. 56, par. 1-75) Sec. 1-75. Resident. "Resident" means a person who in good faith makes application for any license or permit and verifies by statement that he or she has maintained his or her permanent abode in this State for a period of at least 30 con…

(515 ILCS 5/1-80) (from Ch. 56, par. 1-80) Sec. 1-80. Resident commercial fisherman. "Resident commercial fisherman" means an individual who has actually resided in Illinois for one year immediately preceding his or her application for a commercial fishing license and who does no…

(515 ILCS 5/1-85) (from Ch. 56, par. 1-85) Sec. 1-85. Salmon. "Salmon" includes all the salmons and trouts. (Source: P.A. 87-833.)

(515 ILCS 5/1-90) (from Ch. 56, par. 1-90) Sec. 1-90. Salmon stamp. "Salmon stamp" means a special stamp issued by the Department authorizing taking or attempting to take salmon in Lake Michigan. (Source: P.A. 87-833; 88-91.)

(515 ILCS 5/1-91) Sec. 1-91. Inland trout stamp. "Inland trout stamp" means a special stamp issued by the Department authorizing taking or attempting to take trout in all waters except Lake Michigan. (Source: P.A. 88-91.)

(515 ILCS 5/1-95) (from Ch. 56, par. 1-95) Sec. 1-95. Sport fisherman. "Sport fisherman" means an individual who uses or attempts to use sport fishing devices as stated in Sections 10-95, 10-110, and 10-140. (Source: P.A. 89-66, eff. 1-1-96.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-10) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-10) Sec. 10-10. Daily limit; trout and salmon. All properly licensed individuals shall be permitted to take, in any one day, no more than 5 of any one species or 5 in the aggregate of brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, co…

(515 ILCS 5/10-100) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-100) Sec. 10-100. Release of aquatic life. (a) It shall be unlawful to release any aquatic life into the wild in this State without first securing permission of the Department to do so, except that the owner of a body of water may release…

(515 ILCS 5/10-105) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-105) Sec. 10-105. Fish importation permits. Live fish, viable fish eggs, or viable sperm of any species or hybrid of salmon or trout may be imported into the State only by the holder of a fish importation permit and other required State p…

(515 ILCS 5/10-110) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-110) Sec. 10-110. Taking carp, catfish, buffalo, suckers, gar, bowfin, shad, and drum. (a) Carp, catfish, buffalo, suckers, gar, bowfin, shad, and drum may be taken by means of a pitchfork, underwater spear gun, bow and arrow or bow and a…

(515 ILCS 5/10-115) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-115) Sec. 10-115. Taking of turtles. Taking of turtles is found in Section 5-30 of the Herptiles-Herps Act. (Source: P.A. 98-752, eff. 1-1-15.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-120) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-120) Sec. 10-120. Taking of mussels; illegal devices. It is unlawful for any person to take mussels by means of basket dredges or mechanical or suction devices. (Source: P.A. 87-833.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-125) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-125) Sec. 10-125. Device attached to tree. Any hook and line or sport fishing device for the purpose of taking or attempting to take fish, if attached to a tree, must be attached only to the main tree trunk below the water line. (Source: …

(515 ILCS 5/10-130) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-130) Sec. 10-130. Trolling; number of poles. It shall be unlawful for any individual to troll for fish with more than 3 poles and lines with more than 2 hooks or 2 lures attached to each device. (Source: P.A. 87-833.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-135) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-135) Sec. 10-135. Sport fishing charter boats. A "charter boat" is defined as any boat used in the business of carrying sport fishermen for hire into the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan for the purpose of sport fishing. It shall be unlaw…

(515 ILCS 5/10-140) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-140) Sec. 10-140. Dip nets, casting nets, and shad scoops. (a) Any individual possessing a valid sport fishing license may use a dip net, casting net, or shad scoop to take certain species. The taking of aquatic life with a dip net, casti…

(515 ILCS 5/10-15) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-15) Sec. 10-15. Method of taking certain fish. Muskellunge, northern pike, pickerels, walleye, sauger, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, warmouth, rock bass, white bass, yellow bass, striped bass (ocean rockfish), sunfish, bl…

(515 ILCS 5/10-150) Sec. 10-150. Fishing limits; private property. The limits established in this Article on the number and size of fish a person may take in a day do not apply to a person fishing in waters wholly within his or her private property. (Source: P.A. 99-532, eff. 7-8…

(515 ILCS 5/10-20) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-20) Sec. 10-20. Size limit; northern pike. All northern pike in the possession of any individual shall be not less than 24 inches in length, except that northern pike of any size may be possessed that are taken in the waters of the Mississ…

(515 ILCS 5/10-25) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-25) Sec. 10-25. Daily limit; northern pike, sauger, and walleye. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), all properly licensed individuals shall be permitted to take, in any one day, no more than 3 northern pike, 6 sauger or wal…

(515 ILCS 5/10-30) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-30) Sec. 10-30. Bullfrog; open season. Bullfrog open season is found in Section 5-30 of the Herptiles-Herps Act. (Source: P.A. 98-752, eff. 1-1-15.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-35) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-35) Sec. 10-35. Daily limit; bullfrogs. Bullfrog daily limit is found in Section 5-30 of the Herptiles-Herps Act. (Source: P.A. 98-752, eff. 1-1-15.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-40) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-40) Sec. 10-40. Taking of smelt. All individuals taking smelt by any method or with any device, including small mesh nets, shall have a valid sport fishing license. It shall be lawful to take smelt with a seine, gill net, or dip net. A sei…

(515 ILCS 5/10-45) Sec. 10-45. (Repealed). (Source: P.A. 98-915, eff. 1-1-15. Repealed by P.A. 102-837, eff. 5-13-22.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-47) Sec. 10-47. (Repealed). (Source: P.A. 98-915, eff. 1-1-15. Repealed by P.A. 102-837, eff. 5-13-22.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-5) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-5) Sec. 10-5. Daily limit; bass. All properly licensed individuals shall be permitted to take, in any one day, no more than 6 of any one species or 6 in the aggregate of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass. (Source: P.A. 87-833.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-50) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-50) Sec. 10-50. Size limit; trout and salmon. All rainbow trout, lake trout, brown trout, brook trout, Atlantic salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon, pink salmon, or other salmonids when taken or in the possession of a person after having b…

(515 ILCS 5/10-55) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-55) Sec. 10-55. Taking of endangered species. No person shall take or possess any of the aquatic life listed in the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act or subsequent administrative rules, except as provided by that Act. (Source: P.A…

(515 ILCS 5/10-60) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-60) Sec. 10-60. Taking of turtles or bullfrogs; illegal devices. Taking of turtles or bullfrogs is found in Section 5-30 of the Herptiles-Herps Act. (Source: P.A. 98-752, eff. 1-1-15.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-65) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-65) Sec. 10-65. Taking of snakes. Taking of snakes is found in Section 5-25 of the Herptiles-Herps Act. (Source: P.A. 98-752, eff. 1-1-15.)

(515 ILCS 5/10-70) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-70) Sec. 10-70. Aquatic life included in daily limit. (a) Any aquatic life taken into actual possession, unless released unharmed immediately, shall be included in the daily limit of the person having so taken the aquatic life for the day …

(515 ILCS 5/10-75) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-75) Sec. 10-75. Application of Article. This Article 10 shall apply only to aquatic life in waters and lands wholly or in part within the boundaries of the State of Illinois. The provisions of Sections 10-5 through 10-75 are subject to mod…

(515 ILCS 5/10-80) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-80) Sec. 10-80. Illegal methods of taking. Except as otherwise authorized in this Code or administrative rule, it shall be unlawful to take any aquatic life except by angling methods. Illegal methods include, but are not limited to, the us…

(515 ILCS 5/10-85) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-85) Sec. 10-85. Ice fishing. Fish may be taken through the ice by the use of not more than 3 poles and lines or 3 tipups at any one time and there may be not more than 2 hooks attached to each line. Any hole cut in the ice for the purpose …

(515 ILCS 5/10-90) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-90) Sec. 10-90. Snag line or pole. It shall be unlawful to use, set, place, or control any snag line or snag pole, meaning any line, cord, or pole to which a fish hook, a number of fish hooks, or clusters of fish hooks of any kind or descr…

(515 ILCS 5/10-95) (from Ch. 56, par. 10-95) Sec. 10-95. Number of hooks; untagged devices. Any individual possessing a valid sport fishing license may take aquatic life by hand, or may use pole and line, bank pole and line, throw line, trotline, buoyed ganging devices, or other …

(515 ILCS 5/15-10) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-10) Sec. 15-10. Commercial musselor; license. A "commercial musselor" is defined as any individual who takes mussels by hand, except as provided by administrative rule, or who uses any of the mussel devices defined by this Code for the tak…

(515 ILCS 5/15-100) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-100) Sec. 15-100. Length and mesh size of seine. Except as provided in Sections 20-5 through 20-25, any person may use a single seine not exceeding 100 yards in length of 1 1/2 inch bar measurement. In all seines over 100 yards in length …

(515 ILCS 5/15-105) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-105) Sec. 15-105. Devices near spillways, fishways, lakes, and dams. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful to use or operate any commercial devices within 300 yards above or below all spillways, fishways…

(515 ILCS 5/15-110) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-110) Sec. 15-110. Seines for minnows or crayfish. It is unlawful to use a seine for the taking of minnows or crayfish that has mesh larger than 1/2 inch bar measurement or is larger than 20 feet in length or 6 feet in depth. Minnow seines…

(515 ILCS 5/15-115) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-115) Sec. 15-115. Basket traps and hoop nets. Except as provided in Section 20-25, it is unlawful to use any basket trap other than a basket trap constructed of wood or plastic slats. A legal trap must have an unobstructed opening or open…

(515 ILCS 5/15-120) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-120) Sec. 15-120. Mesh size of dip nets. It shall be unlawful to use any dip net having a mesh less than 1 1/2 inches bar measurement or more than 15 feet square or in diameter. (Source: P.A. 87-833.)

(515 ILCS 5/15-125) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-125) Sec. 15-125. Live box or live net. All live boxes and live nets in which any aquatic life protected by this Code is held shall be plainly labeled with the name and address of the owner. (Source: P.A. 87-833.)

(515 ILCS 5/15-130) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-130) Sec. 15-130. Gill or trammel net. It shall be unlawful to use a gill or trammel net except in the Mississippi River, in the Ohio River, and in the Illinois River from its mouth up to the Illinois River bridge, Highway Route 89, inclu…

(515 ILCS 5/15-135) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-135) Sec. 15-135. License in possession. (a) It is unlawful, for the purposes of operation of fishing or musseling devices, (i) for licensed commercial fishermen or musselors to loan licenses to any other individual, or (ii) for any perso…

(515 ILCS 5/15-140) (from Ch. 56, par. 15-140) Sec. 15-140. Spacing of hooks. All trot lines, throw lines, or similar devices except trolley or power lines used in Lake Michigan shall have hooks spaced at intervals of not less than 24 inches. (Source: P.A. 87-833.)