Chambana Sun

Give your dad the gift of fishing this Father’s Day.

Rep. Mike Marron (R-Danville) recently encouraged his constituents to take part in an upcoming free fishing weekend. 

“Mark your calendars for Illinois Free Fishing Days taking place (Friday through Monday) this year. Illinois anglers can fish without a license during this time, coinciding with the Father's Day weekend,” Marron said in a Facebook post. “It’s a great opportunity to introduce children, grandchildren, friends, and others to the fun and adventure of fishing.”

The 2023 Illinois Free Fishing Days event will allow anglers who do not have a fishing license, salmon stamp, or inland trout stamp to have some sporting fun. It’s a great time to introduce kids to fishing, and there are Tackle Loaner program site that will allow you to use equipment that you may not have if you want to participate in the four-day event, the state said on its website. 

If there’s a group that wants to host a Free Fishing Day event, it’s important to fill out this form and return it to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Get the form here.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) website is a treasure trove of information for anglers and individuals who like to take part in outdoor activities. You can find information on public fishing tournaments, youth fishing tournaments, fishing regulations for the current year and about sport shows and events. There's also information available on invasive species, consumption alerts, and lake locations. 

If you want to obtain or renew your fishing license, IDNR allows you to do that here. You’ll also find information on commercial fishing licenses for both Illinois residents and non-residents, licensed vendors and information on other license and permit requirements.

If you or someone in your fishing party has caught a fish that could be a special one, IDNR offers Illinois Sport Fishing Awards and Certificates – Hook-and-Line and “Bow and arrow” anglers These certificates are available for download and personalization online. You can also find a list of the record hook-and-line record fish, and the bow-and-arrow record fish at this website.

Marron has served in the Illinois General Assembly since 2018 and is a small-business owner and family farm operator. His governmental experience includes time as the Chair of the Vermillion County Board, and Supervisor of Pilot Township. He has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business from Murray State University, his legislative biography said.