Spring Lake - Waterfowl

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

Description: Total area - 2,000 acres, including a 1,285 acres lake. This lake contains numerous springs, stumps, and types of aquatic vegetation.

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

Available Game Species:

Hunting Regulations:

• Duck Season:

• Central Zone; Hours from legal opening to 1 pm

• Waterfowl hunting sites allocated by annual draw for a period of one year

• All hunters using this area must report to a check station to fill out information cards and to show hunting licenses and FOIA card before proceeding to blinds or staked blind sites.

• Registered blind builders or partners desiring to claim their blinds or staked blind sites must report to check station at least one hour before opening shooting hour each day.

• Blinds or staked blind sites not claimed by builder or partners by this hour will be assigned by draw until 11 am each day.

• Upon vacating blind or staked blind site, hunters must report to check station within 1 hour and must be check out within 1 hour of the close of the legal hunting hour.

• It is unlawful to claim or attempt to claim any blind or staked blind site which is legally occupied and/or to harass the occupants of a blind or blind site which has been legally claimed.

• Hunting is from registered platforms or boat hide blinds. Hunting from portable boat blinds is permitted within 10 feet from any numbered blind site if a blind has not been constructed or blind has been dismantled.

• Hunters must occupy blinds or staked blind sites within 1 hour after registering at check station.

• No more than 4 hunters per blind.

• All parties must hunt over a minimum of 12 decoys, which must be of at least standard size and which must be removed upon termination of the day’s hunt.

• Registered blind builders or partners claiming their blinds must occupy that blind for at least one hour.

• Hunters should contact Spring Lake SFWA office to inquire about blind construction.

• Goose

• Central Zone; Hours from legal opening to 1 pm

• No Goose hunting permitted prior to duck season

• After duck season, registered blind builders or partners who are hunting geese must occupy their blinds or staked blind sites by ½ hour before legal opening time each day. Blinds or staked blind sites which are not legally claimed by builders or partners before legal shooting time may be claimed on a first-come first-served basis.

• All late goose hunters must sign-in and record their harvest daily.

Site Regulations:

• No Teal hunting permitted prior to duck season

• A 25-horsepower outboard motor limit applies on this area.

• At no time are hunters permitted to enter the Waterfowl Refuge or Waterfowl Rest Area unless given specific permission by the Department representative in charge of the area.

• Hunters under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult of legal age.

• Severe weather and safety conditions can result in closing of all or part of the Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area.

OTHER FACILITIES: Camping, Picnicking, Fishing, Hiking.

For further information, contact: Site Superintendent, Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area, 7982 South Park Road, Manito, Il. 61546.