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Monee Reservoir
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Fishing at Monee ReservoirMonee Reservoir features a 46-acre lake providing fishing and boating opportunities. Free shoreline fishing is available, or rowboats can be rented from the concessions building. Canoes, kayaks, pedal boats, and trolling motors are also available for rental, or you can purchase a one-day or season launch pass to use your own canoe or kayak. Boats are rented April 1 through October 31. Receive a free boat rental after five identical rentals with a "Monee Madness" card - get yours at the concessions building!

Groups can enjoy the peaceful setting of Monee Reservoir for a family outing. Three picnic sites can be reserved for large get-togethers, or individual tables are available for family picnics on a first-come, first-served basis. The reservoir's open spaces are ideal for such activities as kite flying and bird watching. Visitors to the site can also enjoy the 2.5-mile hiking trail that loops through a wetland, home to many forms of wildlife.

The concessions building, open daily except Mondays, offers bait, fishing licenses, and snacks for sale. A fishing license is required for anyone at least 16 years of age who fishes a public Illinois waterway. Additionally, horseshoes, ladder ball equipment, bean bag games, volleyball games, snowshoes, and fishing poles can be rented. 

The following bait is available for sale:
  • Large Minnows - $2/dozen
  • Small Minnows - $2/dozen
  • Nightcrawlers - $2.50/dozen
  • Jumbo Red Worms - $2.50/30 count
  • Little Red Worms - $2.50/50 count
  • Wax Worms - $2/20 count
  • Wax Worm Tub - $9/approximately 250 count
  • Dough Bait - $4/jar
  • Stink Bait - $5/jar
Minnows must be purchased from the concessions building. The use of live crayfish is prohibited.

The lake is stocked with bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, and channel catfish. Taking frogs, turtles, and mussels is prohibited. Catch and Release fishing is encouraged, but daily limits are:

Type of FishDaily Limit
Minimum Size
Large or Smallmouth Bass115 inches or larger
Channel Catfish6None

You can check current fishing conditions at Monee Reservoir Tuesday through Sunday by calling 708.534.8499. Only line fishing is allowed. Anglers may use a maximum of two poles, with no more than two hooks or lures attached to each. Ice fishing, swimming, wading, and dogs in the water are prohibited. All statewide fishing regulations apply.

Mushing at Musher ManiaWater recreation-based programs such as Kayak Kollege, You Too Can Canoe, Midnight Madness, and First Time Fishing are held seasonally. Monee is also host to a variety of annual special events, including Musher Mania, Let's Go Fly a Kite, Adult Fishing Derby, and the Kids' Fishing Derby.

When the weather turns cold, Monee Reservoir provides winter recreation as well. An ice-skating pond is available when ice conditions are right, and cross-country skiing is available when the preserve is covered with snow. Snowshoes can be rented from the concessions building for an invigorating hike through the preserve. To check winter recreation conditions at Monee Reservoir, call 708.534.8499.

Photographs Courtesy of Glenn P. Knoblock and Joan Fasanella
Location
Monee Reservoir is located at 27341 Ridgeland Avenue, west of Route 50 and south of Pauling Road, 2 miles south of Monee.

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For Information
708.534.8499
815.727.8700
Hours
Concessions Building Hours:
November - March: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
April: 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
May - September 14: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
September 15 - October: 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed Mondays
Photo Galleries
Gallery Category: Kids' Fishing Derby 2011
Gallery Category: Musher Mania 2012
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Fishing
Geocaching
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Ice Skating
Picnicking
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Copyright © 2012 The Forest Preserve District of Will County
17540 W. Laraway Road, Joliet, IL 60433
815.727.8700 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Weekdays
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