Announcements
Horseshoe Lake – Gabaret, Mosenthein & Chouteau Islands
Site Contact Info
Office phone: 618-931-0270
Office address: 3321 Highway 111, Granite City, Il 62040. Main office is at Horseshoe Lake-Madison
Site coordinates: 38.76062 -90.14129
County: Madison
Site Map
Site Characteristics
Huntable acres: 2,329
Habitat: The state hunting area consists of a blend of habitat types. The Gabaret Island parcel consists of idled row crop fields, bottomland forest, and a grassed levee around the parcel. Mosenthein Island is a bottomland forest located in the Mississippi River and is accessible by boat only. The Chouteau Island parcel is includes idled row crop fields and wetland forest edges. The federal hunting area consists of 650 acres of bottomland forest and 420 acres of prairie and scrub/shrub habitat.
Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year at this site.
Site/Species Specific Regulations
Statewide and associated species regulations in accordance with the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations apply at site unless noted hereafter.
Site uses a free site permit and windshield card that is available from the Horseshoe Lake State Park office.
Hunters required to report their harvest by Mar 31
Parking is in designated spots only. No ATV’s are allowed on site.
No firearms loaded with single projectiles ammunition allowed (slugs, rifle bullets, black powder balls, etc)
Hunters using a ground blind during any firearm deer season are required to have at least 400 square inches of solid, vivid blaze orange material securely attached to the uppermost portion of the blind, and a substantial amount of orange is visible for 360 degrees.
Deer
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except no dogs can be used to track deer at this site during hours when deer hunting is being conducted.
Firearm
Not available at this site.
Late Winter Antlerless
Not available at this site.
Muzzleloader
Not available at this site.
Special CWD
Not available at this site.
Youth Firearm
Not available at this site.
Turkey
Fall Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Fall Shotgun
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Youth Spring
Not available at this site.
Waterfowl
No cutting of vegetation on site is allowed.
Waterfowl hunters must maintain a distance of 200 yards between hunting parties.
Ducks/Coots/Mergansers
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Goose
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. Early Canada goose hunting is not permitted on IDNR property in September.
Snipe/Rail
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Youth Waterfowl
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Upland/Small Game
Crow
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except all crows must be removed from State and Federal property by the hunter.
Dove
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except only non-toxic shot may be used; # 6 steel or # 7½ bismuth shot or smaller is allowed.
Pheasant, Quail, Partridge
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except non-toxic shot is required, with a size ballistically equivalent to # 5 lead.
Rabbits
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except non-toxic shot is required, with a size ballistically equivalent to # 5 lead but composed of non-toxic material.
Squirrels
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except only shotgun and archery devices are allowed.
Woodcock
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Furbearers
Furbearer Hunting
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except only shotgun and archery devices are allowed.
Furbearer Trapping
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Trapping permits will be awarded via a public drawing at the site office during the last week in October. Registration will begin at 9 am, and the drawing will be at 11 am. Trappers must possess current or previous year’s trapping license.
- Only Egg Traps, D-P (Dog Proof) Traps, box traps, cage traps and traps of similar design may be used for land sets.
- Only body gripping traps with a jaw spread of 4½ inches or less and square body gripping traps with a 10 inch jaw spread may be used for water sets.
- Furbearer trappers are allowed to posses a .22 rimfire or smaller firearm while checking traps.
- Harvest report due by April 20th.