Per ifishillinois.org: Do I need a fishing license to fish my private pond located entirely on my property?
Owners or tenants (if they reside on the land) may fish in waters on or flowing over their lands without a license. This exemption does not apply to club and organizational lakes or lake developments. Guests must have a fishing license to fish the lake unless they meet any of the requirements exempting persons from needing a license - such as being under age 16, Illinois residents who are disabled or blind, or Illinois residents on leave from active duty in the Armed Forces.
Can I catch and take as many fish as I want from my lake?
A privately owned and stocked/maintained lake is still covered by Illinois statewide sportfishing regulations. These regulations can be found in our "2006 Illinois Fishing Information" booklet which can be found anywhere licenses are sold as well as on our DNR homepage. The statewide regulations are on page 8 of the booklet while the information regarding licensing requirements is on page 3.
