Ill. Admin. Code tit. 17, § 590.20 – Permit Controlled Department Sites Only − Duck, Goose and Coot Hunting

a) Sites covered in this Section, which allow hunting by permit only, are:
Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area
Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area
Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area
Clinton Lake State Recreation Area – Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area (2)
Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area
Embarras River Bottoms State Habitat Area (2)
Fox Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)
Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – Controlled Hunting Area
Larry D. Closson State Habitat Area (2)
Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area – Duck Ranch Unit (2)
Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – Walk-in Units
Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area
Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area − Spring Lake Bottoms Unit
Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area – Controlled Hunting Area
b) Permit Requirements
1. 1) Permit applications shall be accepted starting August 16. Initial acceptance dates and methods for making applications will be publicly announced. A hunter can obtain up to 5 permits for duck hunting and 5 permits for goose hunting as follows: Only applications submitted by Illinois residents will be processed during the first lottery to apply for up to one duck permit and one goose permit. Non-residents and residents who did not receive a permit or did not apply in the first lottery will be eligible to participate in the second lottery to apply for their first duck and goose permit. Residents will have preference in the 2^nd lottery. Residents and non-residents can apply for a 2^nd permit for duck and goose hunting in the 3^rd lottery. Residents will have preference in the 3^rd lottery. Residents and non-residents can apply online for a 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th duck and goose permit after the 3^rd lottery. Successful applicants will be sent confirmation via email or can access the Reservation Inquiry System to see if they were awarded a permit.
2. 2) Permits shall be issued until the daily quota is filled. The daily quota is determined by the formula: one hunter per 10 to 40 huntable acres. Huntable acres are determined by, but not limited to, the biological studies on the number of the species available; the condition, topography, and configuration of the land at the site; the condition of the roads at the site; the number of employees available to work at the site; and the number of blinds which can be established on a site as set forth in Section 3.8 of the Wildlife Code [520 ILCS 5]. Hunting locations (blind or stake number) shall be assigned randomly by the permit office and listed on the permit at sites that do not have a check station, but have multiple hunting locations.
3. 3) The permit shall be for the use of the entire blind or staked site/area.
  1. A) It shall be the responsibility of the permit holder to bring one hunting partner or one non-hunting partner (non-hunting partners are defined as persons under 21 years of age accompanying the hunter in the blind) or 2 non-hunting partners (3 persons per blind but not more than 2 hunters per blind) for:
    Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area
    Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
    Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area
  2. B) It shall be the responsibility of the permit holder to bring no more than 2 partners (hunters or non-hunters; 3 persons per stake/area) for:
    Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – Walk-in Unit
    Kidd Lake State Natural Area – units west of the railroad tracks only
  3. C) It shall be the responsibility of the permit holder to bring no more than 3 partners (hunters or non-hunters; 4 persons per blind or staked site/area) for:
    Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
    Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area
    Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area
    Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area
    Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area
    Embarras River Bottoms State Habitat Area
    Fox Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
    Larry D. Closson State Habitat Area
    Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area – Duck Ranch Unit
    Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
    Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – Spring Lake Bottoms Unit
    Clinton Lake State Recreation Area – Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area
4. 4) Unallocated blinds may be filled by a drawing at the sites. If no drawing occurs, then modifications will be posted at the site and 17 Ill. Adm. Code 510.10(d)(3) shall apply.
5) Permits are not transferrable.
1. 6) Permits will be issued from the Springfield Permit Office for permit‑controlled sites. For other information write to:
  Illinois Department of Natural Resources
  Permit Office − Waterfowl
  P.O. Box 19457
  Springfield IL 62794-9457
2. c) General Regulations
  1. 1) All use other than permit hunting as defined in subsection (b)(3) is prohibited at:
    1. A) Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area from 2 weeks before duck season through close of Central Zone Canada goose season (except for archery deer hunting).
B) Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area from October 1 through the close of the Central Zone Duck hunting season.
1. 2) Hours, Permits and Stamp Charges
  1. A) Hunting hours are from legal opening time until 1:00 p.m., except at Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area, which close at 12 noon. Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area – Duck Ranch Unit will have statewide hours for early and late goose seasons.
  2. B) At Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area from opening day through November 30, all hunters must register at the check station by 5:00 a.m. Permits are void after 5:00 a.m. From December 1 through December 31, all hunters must register at the check station by 5:30 a.m. Permits are void after 5:30 a.m. From January 1 through the close of goose season, all hunters must register at the check station by 6:00 a.m. Permits are void after 6:00 a.m.
  3. C) At Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area, Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – Walk-in Units and Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area hunters with permit reservations are required to check in at the check station between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Permits are void after 5:00 a.m. A drawing may be held to allocate blind sites at all sites. If no drawing occurs, then modifications will be posted at the site and 17 Ill. Adm. Code 510.10(d)(3) shall apply.
  4. D) At Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – Spring Lake Bottoms Unit, hunters are required to check in at the check station no later than one hour before legal shooting time; after that time, permits are void.
  5. E) At Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area, hunters must check in by 4:30 a.m. at the Rice Lake check station. Permits are void after 4:30 a.m. Check out is required at all sites listed in this Section.
  6. F) At Clinton Lake State Recreation Area – Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area, hunting hours are from legal shooting time to 1:00 p.m. Permit hunters have sole access to the assigned, permanent blind sites for the day and may occupy the site as desired during legal access hours but may not leave and re-enter the site.
  7. G) At Kidd Lake State Natural Area, hunters may arrive at hunt sites 1 hour prior to legal shooting time until 1:00 p.m. when shooting must cease. Hunters must remove all hunting materials and vacate the area by 2:00 p.m. Only hunters with Public Duck and Goose Hunting Area Permits and their partners may hunt the site.
  8. H) A $15 Daily Usage Stamp must be purchased at Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area. Partners between 16 and 20 years of age must pay daily usage stamp fee. Partners under 16 are not required to purchase a daily usage stamp.
  9. I) A $10 Daily Usage Stamp must be purchased at Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area, Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area – Duck Ranch Unit, Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area − Spring Lake Bottoms Unit, Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area. Non‑hunting partners between 16 and 20 years of age must pay daily usage stamp fee. All partners under 16 are not required to purchase a daily usage stamp.
  10. J) At Embarras River Bottoms State Habitat Area, hunters may arrive at hunt sites 1 hour prior to legal shooting time until 1:00 p.m. when shooting must cease. Hunters must remove all hunting materials and vacate the area by 3:00 p.m. Only hunters with Public Duck and Goose Hunting Area Permits and their partners may hunt the site.
  11. K) At Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, permits will be valid each day the check station is open during regular duck season. Drawing for blinds may take place 90 minutes before shooting time and hunting hours are from ½ hour before sunrise until 1:00 p.m. If no drawing occurs, then modifications will be posted at the site and 17 Ill. Adm. Code 510.10(d)(3) shall apply.
2. 3) Hunting shall be done from assigned locations (blinds, stakes, areas or pits) only and hunters shall not move from assigned location to another location or leave the assigned location and return.
3. 4) Guns must be unloaded and encased at all times when not hunting. Except at Union County and Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Areas, all hunting parties shall hunt over a spread of at least 12 decoys during duck season and Canada goose season. The decoys shall be staked, placed or floating, be individually visible, be at least 8 inches long, and not be within a boat, blind or container.
4. 5) The legal hunting seasons for Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area are the dates of the South Zone duck and goose hunting seasons except that these areas shall be closed on Mondays, Tuesdays (except for the Illinois Youth Waterfowl Hunt) and December 24 through 28. (These sites shall be open only for the Illinois Youth Waterfowl Hunt on December 28, pursuant to 17 Ill. Adm. Code 685.110.)
5. 6) The legal hunting season at Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area is the dates of the Central Zone goose hunting season except that the area shall be closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and December 24, 25 and 26.
6. 7) The legal hunting season at Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area and Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – Walk-in Units is the dates of the Central Zone duck hunting season.
7. 8) The legal hunting season at Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – Spring Lake Bottoms Unit is the opening day of the Central Zone duck hunting season and every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday of the Central Zone duck hunting season, except the second Sunday in November, which is closed due to the Youth Hunt.
8. 9) The legal permit hunting season at Double T State Conservation Area will be every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday of the Central Zone duck hunting season.
9. 10) The legal hunting season at Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area – Duck Ranch Unit is every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday during the Central Zone duck season.
10. 11) At Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area, during duck season hunters shall not possess more than 25 shot shells. When duck season is closed, hunters shall not possess more than 5 shot shells for every Canada goose allowed in the daily bag limit. During the Conservation Order Light Goose Season hunters may possess 25 shot shells at Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area. At Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area, hunters may not possess more than 5 shot shells for every Canada goose allowed in the daily bag limit.
11. 12) At Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area hunters may bring up to 3 dozen decoys per party. No full bodied or supermagnum shell decoys are allowed.
12. 13) At Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area hunters cannot take guns from the blind to retrieve wounded waterfowl.
13. 14) Hunters must be at least 16 years of age (except for the Illinois Youth Goose/Duck Hunt) to draw for a pit or blind. Each person under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
14. 15) At Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – Walk-in Units, hunting shall be by walk-in or boats without motors only.
15. 16) The legal hunting season for Clinton Lake State Recreation Area – Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area will be every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the Central Zone regular duck season.
16. 17) The permit dates for Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area will be every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the waterfowl hunting zone the site is in (Central Zone). Permit holders will have first choice of West Point Walk-in area stakes or unclaimed yearly allocation blinds that would otherwise go in the daily drawing. All site specific regulations apply.
17. 18) The legal hunting season for Larry D. Closson State Habitat Area will be every Sunday in October and November and every Saturday in December and January of the regular Illinois duck hunting season in the waterfowl hunting zone in which the site is located.
18. 19) The legal hunting season for Kidd Lake State Natural Area – units west of the railroad tracks only will be every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the regular Illinois duck hunting season in the waterfowl hunting zone in which the site is located.
19. 20) The legal hunting season for Embarras River Bottoms State Habitat Area will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the regular Illinois duck hunting season (except for the youth waterfowl season) in the Waterfowl Hunting Zone in which the site is located. There will be no waterfowl hunting during shotgun deer and deer muzzleloader seasons.
20. 21) The legal hunting season for Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area (marsh hunting area) will be Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday of the regular Illinois duck hunting season in the waterfowl hunting zone where the site is located. The legal hunting season for the Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area (land hunting area) will be Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday of the regular Illinois duck and goose hunting seasons in the waterfowl hunting zone where the site is located. Walk-in hunting only. Hunters may construct temporary blinds that must be removed at the end of each day's hunt. Hunting hours are from legal opening until 1:00 p.m. Hunters must be off the site by 2:00 p.m. Sign-in/sign-out and report harvest at parking area kiosk.
21. 22) The legal hunting season for Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the regular Illinois duck hunting season in the waterfowl zone where the site is located. Walk-in hunting only. Hunters may construct temporary blinds that must be removed at the end of each day's hunt. Hunting hours are from legal opening until 1:00 p.m. Hunters must be off the waterfowl hunting site by 2:00 p.m. Sign-in, sign-out and reporting of harvest required.

(Source: Amended at 49 Ill. Reg. 11683, effective September 2, 2025)