Back Close

How to Catch Fish Fishing Gear & Tackle Fishing with Lures Fishing with Live Bait Fishing Knots and Rigs Fishing Safety Fishing Tips When to Fish Types of Fishing View All

Types of Saltwater Fishing Saltwater Fishing Gear Saltwater Fishing Tackle & Knots Saltwater Bait and Lures Saltwater Fishing Species When to Saltwater Fish View All

Types of Freshwater Fishing Freshwater Fishing Gear Freshwater Bait and Lures Freshwater Fishing FAQ Learn About Freshwater Fish Species When to Freshwater Fish View All

Fly Fishing Basics Fly Fishing Gear Fly Fishing Flies Fly Casting View All

Ice Fishing Basics Ice Fishing Gear Ice Fishing Techniques View All

Boating Basics How to Boat Boating and Water Safety Choose Your Boat Use our Boat Explorer Tool View All

Select a state to find fishing and boating information:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho

Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri

Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania

Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Get A Fishing License

Get started fishing today, purchase your fishing license online, check regulations and more.

Get an Illinois Fishing License

Whether you want to fish for bluegill from the shores of Johnson Lake in Kewanee or troll for salmon on the waters of Lake Michigan, you will have to purchase an IL fishing license first. How much does a fishing license cost? This depends on the type of license you buy. There are a number of options depending on if you are a resident, non-resident, senior or veteran.

ILLINOIS FISHING LAWS AND REGULATIONS

Once you have purchased your IL fishing license, make sure you read the fishing laws and regulations that apply in your local area. There are both statewide and site specific fishing rules that anglers are required to follow order to conserve fish populations now and for future generations of anglers.

IT’S NOT A FEE, IT’S A CONTRIBUTION

How can you keep conservation in mind every time you go fishing? First, by following and understanding. Second, by practicing catch and release whenever possible. Anglers who practice catch and release return fish back into the waters where they were caught in order to encourage populations to thrive.

ILLINOIS FISHING LICENSE INFORMATION

Fishing licenses can be purchased either online from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources or from approved license vendors that sell hunting and fishing equipment.
There are different types of fishing licenses. You can buy a 24-hour, annual or a lifetime sport fishing license.
Non-resident anglers under 16 years of age may fish without a license. Illinois fishing licenses are issued every month of the year and expire annually on March 31.