Boat launch, rentals open at Silver Lake at Blackwell

The spring rainbow trout season opens Saturday, April 2, at 6 a.m. at three DuPage Forest Preserve District lakes: Grove Lake at Wood Dale Grove in Wood Dale; Silver Lake at Blackwell in Warrenville; and Pickerel Lake at Pratt’s Wayne Woods in Wayne.

 

In preparation, the District has stocked Pickerel Lake with approximately 2,000 pounds of rainbow trout and Grove Lake with 1,000 pounds. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources provided Silver Lake with roughly 3,250 fish.

The three lakes are closed to all fishing through opening day to allow the fish to acclimate and disperse.

The creel limit for rainbow trout is five per person per day with no length restriction, and all anglers 16 and older who are not legally disabled must carry valid Illinois fishing licenses with inland trout stamps. Both are available for purchase at local sporting goods stores and at Forest Preserve District headquarters at 3S580 Naperville Road in Wheaton weekdays 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., where anglers can also pick up free copies of the District’s Fishing Guide. For details contact Visitor Services at 630-933-7248 or forest@dupageforest.org.

 

At 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 2, boat rentals begin at Silver Lake at Blackwell. (Rentals begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 28 at Herrick Lake Forest Preserve in Wheaton.) Rowboats and single kayaks are $15 per hour; canoes and tandem kayaks are $18 per hour; and paddleboats (at Blackwell only) are $20 per hour. Rentals end at 5 p.m. Anglers can buy bait at vending machines. Below are the rental hours for the season.

At Blackwell
April 2 – Sept. 25

For weekday rentals at Herrick Lake, book a private Have it at Herrick outing.

Visitors with private nongasoline-powered watercraft under 20 feet long — boats, canoes, kayaks and multichambered inflatables that are either nationally certified or have factory-made hardened floors — can also use the Silver Lake boat launch at Blackwell. All boats require District permits and valid hull identification numbers, and motorized boats require state registration.

District permits are $5 per day or $30 per year for the first boat and $15 per year for each additional boat for DuPage residents; permits are $10 per day or $50 per year for the first boat and $35 for each additional boat for nonresidents. Permits are available at the boat rental building, through Visitor Services at 630-933-7248, and online at dupageforest.org under “Registration and Permits.” People 65 or older, U.S. military personnel, and honorably discharged U.S. veterans are entitled to one free annual permit per household per year.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has been connecting people to nature for more than 100 years. More than 6.2 million people visit its 60 forest preserves, 166 miles of trails, six education centers and scores of programs each year. For information, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also link to the District’s e-newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok pages.

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