Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area

2022-2023 Season

Map                              

Location: Five (5) miles northwest of Manito and 15 miles south of Pekin off Manito Blacktop.

Description: Total Area - 2,000 acres, including a 1,285 acre lake. Hunting Area - 260 acres. This area contains a long sand bluff overlooking Spring Lake. Timbered areas have mature stands of hardwoods and pine with fallow areas interspersed. As time and budget allow, this area is targeted for restoration activities and enhancement of wildlife habitat.​

Available Game Species:

Species 

Seasons 

Hunting Hours

Bag Limits

Special Regulations

Squirrel 

Day after Labor Day through Sept. 30, Season re-opens the day after the archery deer season closes and remains open until the end of the Statewide Season.

Statewide 

Statewide 

Windshield Card Required

 

All squirrel hunting must be with shotguns or .25 caliber or smaller air rifles

Deer – Archery Only

Statewide

Statewide 

Statewide 

Windshield Card Required

Open to archery deer hunting without regard to firearm deer season

Turkey - Fall Archery

Statewide

Statewide

Statewide

Windshield Card Required

 

Open to archery turkey hunting without regard to firearm deer season

Furbearers (Trapping Only)

Statewide

Statewide

Statewide

Site Permit, trapper quota.


Hunting Regulations:

 - NOTE: Forest Game Hunting only allowed in areas identified on the Hunter Fact Sheet Map.

Hunters must obtain a windshield card available online and report harvest online prior to February 15th. Failure to report harvest will result in loss of hunting privileges at this site for the following year. Windshield card available online at dnr2.illinois.gov/Windshieldcard

  • Deer – Archery Only
    • Only one non-piercing tree stand or ground blind is allowed per deer permit holder. Tree stands and ground blinds may be left unattended from September 15 through January 31. Any tree stand or ground blind left unattended must be legibly marked with the owner's name, address, and telephone number, or site assigned identification number.
    • Open during firearm deer season
    • Windshield card required
  • Furbearer Trapping
    • Trappers must obtain a site permit allocated at a drawing in October at Spring Lake SFWA office.
    • A limited number of trappers are allowed to trap during season.
    • Trappers must stay within assigned areas
    • Only Egg Traps®, D-P (Dog-Proof) Traps®, Lil Grizz Get’rz®, box traps, cage traps, and traps of similar design may be used for land sets
    • Only body-gripping traps with a jaw spread of 5 inches or less, foothold traps with a jaw spread of 4½ inches or less and square body-gripping traps with a 10-inch jaw spread may be used for water sets.
    • Snares may be used for water sets
    • .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms permitted

Area Regulations:

  1. It shall be unlawful for any person to construct or use any tree stand using nails, screws, wire, or any other device which pierces or cuts the bark of the tree.
  2. It shall be unlawful to possess or consume alcoholic beverages including wine and beer while hunting on this area.
  3. It is unlawful to ride horses on this site or allow horses to enter this site.

Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site.

Other Facilities: Camping, Picnicking, Hiking, Fishing, Boat Rentals.

For further information contact: Site Superintendent, Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area, 7982 South Park Road, Manito, Il. 61547


Equal opportunity to participate in programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and those funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies is available to all individuals regardless of race, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion, or other non-merit factors. If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the funding source’s civil rights office and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, IDNR, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702; (217)785-0067; TTY (217)782-9175.