District closes popular fishing areas for the start of spring trout season
The McHenry County Conservation District announced today that many of the county's most popular locations for trout fishing will be closed through April 30 to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to a news release.
The Hollows in Cary, Beck's Woods and Picasaw North in Chemung will be closed for fishing in line with Gov. JB Pritzker's stay-at-home order, the news release said.
The hiking trails at The Hollows will reopen April 6 after the first weekend of the Illinois spring trout season, but Lake Atwood at The Hollows and Picasaw North and Beck's Woods will remain closed to the public.
Due to the large number of anglers who fish these areas at the start of the spring trout season, the district said keeping these sites open would go against social distancing guidelines and would put public safety at risk.
The opening days of trout season have also been postponed at Lakewood Forest Preserve's Banana Lake in Wauconda, according to the Lake County Forest Preserves website.
In preparation for the spring season, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout in bodies of water across the state where trout fishing is allowed.
According to the IDNR website, fish are stocked in mid-March to prepare for the beginning of the season at 5 a.m. on Saturday, April 4.
While some more eager anglers may be disappointed by the delay of this year's trout season, the owner of Algonquin bait shop, Bait Shanty, took to Facebook to provide assurance that catching that first rainbow trout will be worth the wait.
"The fish are in already, and will be there May 1st and by then they will be spread out even and taking natural baits," the post said.
Larry Kirchner, owner of Bait Shanty, said as local anglers also should remember there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
According to his post, "Crappie continue to crush it, Walleye are wackin' em', Bass are Battlin'" and "Carp are Cruising."
Kirchner said anglers should adhere to restrictions set by the district because "it's our duty to help take care of not only the environment but also our fellow persons."
"If too many people try to bend the rules or they start crowding one area then they'll end up just shutting it all down which is what Wisconsin has been doing," he added.
Most of the MCCD's conservation areas remain open to the public and the district encourages residents to explore less-frequented areas to hike, fish or for a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Residents should be sure to practice social distancing by going alone to conservation areas and by staying 6 feet away from other visitors at all times, according to the MCCD.
If the parking lot of a conservation site is more than half full, visitors should consider going elsewhere, the news release said. It is also important to remember all public restrooms maintained by the district have been closed until further notice.
For information on conservation district closures and guidelines, visit MCCDistrict.org.