Agency says fishing still allowed at closed parks

SPRINGFIELD -- "Closed" doesn't necessarily mean you can't fish.

That's the word from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on whether anglers can still access lakes at several parks shut down recently to offset a $2 billion state budget deficit.

Agency spokesman Chris McCloud says people will still be able to fish at Moraine View State Park near LeRoy and Weldon Springs State Recreation Area near Clinton, for instance. Those were two of seven parks closed Sunday.

McCloud says Illinois has to allow certain activities at shuttered parks as a condition of federal funds it's received.

He adds that park managers have never had to deal with the implications of such park closings before. And he asks for the public's patience.