Fox Waterway Agency - Serving the Fox River Chain O' Lakes in Lake and Mchenry counties in Illinois

07/01/2009	WEDNESDAY, 7/1: Effective 10am--Lower River has been declared OPEN.
06/26/2009	FIREWORKS SPECIAL EVENT NO WAKE ZONE - There will be a Temporary No Wake Zone from Grass Lake Bridge South To Route 12 and another line going directly north from Lippincott Point to Crabapple Island on 7/4/09 from 8:00P - 11:00P for the Chain O'Lakes Fireworks Display CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED MAP
06/23/2009	LOCK & DAM OPERATIONS - The IDNR has issued a statement on the operations of the gates as well as flow and gage information on the Fox River & Chain O'Lakes CLICK HERE FOR THE REPORT
06/19/2009	USE CAUTION AFTER STRONG STORMS - DEBRIS ADVISORY STILL IN EFFECT.
06/11/2009	PHOTOS NEEDED: We are seeking boating pictures to use in future brochures and reports. If you have some great ones, sent to laura@foxwaterway.org, with a release that we have permission to use them. Many thanks!
06/01/2009	NOISE ENFORCEMENT --Excessive boat noise is illegal. Complaints should be reported to Lake County Sheriff Dispatch Unit 847-549-5200 --McHenry County Dispatch Unit 815-338-2144. Violations are complaint based.
05/13/2009	NEWS RELEASE: FOX CHAIN O' LAKES REGULATION CHANGE. The walleye regulation for the Fox Chain O' Lakes, from the Wisconsin state line to Algonquin dam and Nippersink Creek upstream to the Wilmot Road Bridge, has been changed. Effective April, 1 2009, anglers will be allowed to harvest one additional walleye from 14" to 18" long. Theses size walleye are generally males and rarely grow beyond 18" long in the system. This change was inadvertently omitted from the 2009 Illinois Fishing Information Booklet. The new regulation should read: 3 fish>or= (greater or equal to) 14 and <(less than) 18 and 1 fish > (greater than) 24.

The Illinois Fox River Chain O'Lakes is the busiest inland recreational waterway per acre in the entire United States. Only an hour's drive from Chicago, Milwaukee, and Rockford, and with over 7,100 acres of water, 15 lakes and 45 miles of river. This "Key West of the Midwest" accommodates every water-borne activity including boating, swimming, tubing, waterskiing, hunting and fishing, and appeals to everyone from families and couples, to the more adventurous weekender. Chicagoland's playground for over 100 years also boasts some of the best restaurants and marinas, two State Parks and other entertainment venues and events unique only to the Fox River Chain O'Lakes.

Webcam from Fox Waterway Agency Headquarters Pistakee Lake

The Fox Waterway Agency is the proud caretaker of this jewel of the Midwest. We are a "special unit of local government", created by the State of Illinois in 1984, and self-funded. We are NOT a taxing body, rather, we are a "pay to play" system where users of the waterway buy a sticker to fund the maintenance of the waterway! With baseline programs in dredging, navigational aides (buoys) and public safety (debris), the Fox Waterway Agency is also involved in a wide-range of public benefit programs and community support activities to enhance the recreational and tourist opportunities of this natural resource. Recently, we have begun a campaign to recycle lake sediment as topsoil to help fund more water quality projects and create more recreational opportunities. The forefathers of the Agency saw an Agency that "coordinated the efforts of Federal, State and local partners", and we do that well.

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		NOTICE - THERE WILL BE A TEMPORARY NO WAKE ZONE ON SATURDAY, JULY 4TH FOR THE CHAIN O'LAKES FIREWORKS ON MINEOLA BAY. PLEASE SEE THE MAP LINK IN OUR ADVISORY SECTION FOR DETAILED INFORMATION!