Rules & Regulations
Cast net laws in Illinois
Legal with restrictionsInformational only — this is not legal advice
Fishing regulations change, sometimes with little notice, and can vary further by county, water body, or season within a state. This page is a starting point for research, not a substitute for the law. Always verify current rules directly with your state's fish & wildlife agency or TakeMeFishing.org before you fish. BasicGear is not responsible for citations, fines, or gear seizures resulting from reliance on this page.
Last verified: 2026-07-08 — regulations are re-checked periodically; see the date above before assuming this is current.
Summary
Cast nets may take bait species only (gizzard shad, goldeye, skipjack herring, common carp, plus shad/minnows/crayfish) — no game fish — and bait must stay on the water body where it was caught.
Size, mesh & licensing
- Max size
- 24 ft diameter (12 ft radius)
- Mesh
- Maximum 1 in bar measurement
- Water type
- Not water-type specific; prohibited within 100 ft of the base of any dam
- License
- Yes — valid Illinois sportfishing license
Recommended BasicGear net
Cast Net — Basic Series — Illinois's 12 ft radius cap is exactly the largest size the Basic Series offers.
Official source
Illinois DNR, 17 Ill. Adm. Code §810.50(a)(2)↗
High confidenceOlder secondary sources cite a smaller 8 ft / 3/8" figure that appears superseded by the current in-force rule.
Last verified: 2026-07-08
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