Illinois puts Ottawa inside LaSalle County. Everything below is within a morning of the door. Near end of the list first: Split Rock Lake 11 miles, Huse Lake 13 miles to the west, Lake Mendota 21 miles, Milhurst Lake 23 miles to the north-east followed by Lyons Lake 24 miles. Huse Lake holds its weed late, so
| Issuing agency | Who needs a license | Resident annual | Non-resident annual | Non-resident short-term | Saltwater requirement | License-free days | Official source (last verified) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) | Ages 16 and older | $15.00 | $31.50 | 24-hour, 3-day | Not applicable — no coastline | Announced annually | Agency pageVerified 2026-08-13 |
*Prices are base annual freshwater licenses and exclude vendor fees, stamps and endorsements. Where a cell reads “Not verified”, the agency does not publish the figure in a format we can verify automatically.
Need to purchase a fishing license? Where to buy
