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Horseshoe Lake State Park – Madison County

Site Contact Info

Office phone: 618-931-0270

Office address: 3321 Highway 111, Granite City, IL 62040

Site coordinates: 38.69783 -90.06677

County: Madison

Site Superintendent

District Wildlife Biologist

Conservation Police

Site Closures List

Site Map

Digital Map

Printable Map

Site Characteristics

Huntable acres: 2,000

Habitat: An oxbow lake of the Mississippi River floodplain is surrounded by a mix of managed row crop fields and sunflower fields interspersed with small tracts of grassland and forest. 1,000 acres of water exists as open lake and moist-soil management areas

Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year at this site.

Site Specific Applications

Applications are accepted March 1 – March 31st for this site. See applications below to apply.

Deer Archery Application – Walker’s Island

Deer Archery Application – Bend Road

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.

Only portable tree stands; one stand per hunter. It is unlawful to construct or use any tree stand using nails, screws or any device which pierces or cuts the bark of the tree on which it is installed. No permanent stands allowed

Waterfowl blinds are on a 3 year allocation cycle

No boats with motors greater than 50 hp allowed

No fishing allowed within 250 yards of an occupied blind within the hunting area

Deer

Archery

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

  • Site-specific permit is required. Applications are available online or at the site office. Applications will be accepted from Mar 1-31. A drawing will be conducted during the first week in April. 
  • 12 hunters will be selected for each of the 15 weeks: 4 for Walker’s Island and 8 for Bend Road 
  • Site-specific permit holders may leave stands unattended during the permitted week of hunting. The stand must be tagged and labeled with name, address and phone number. 
  • There is no limit on the number of antlerless deer that may be harvested with the proper permits 
  • Open during all Firearm Deer Seasons. All hunters must wear a solid blaze orange cap and vest as required for firearm deer hunting during these seasons 
  • There will be 15 hunting sessions available 
  • Only 1 session will be awarded per hunter. Session dates are for 1 week and will be available on the application. 
  • Archery deer permit holders will be allowed to harvest furbearers during their designated hunting week. Harvest must be reported on the archery deer harvest sheet along with hunter trips and deer harvested 

Firearm

Not available at this site.

Late Winter Antlerless 

Not available at this site.

Muzzleloader

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

  • Open only during the 3-day muzzleloader only season 
  • Site-specific permit is required as issued through the regular muzzleloader firearm application process (Springfield lottery system). 
  • In addition to the IL Check System per Statewide regulations, hunters must submit the harvest sheet provided by the Site Superintendent.
  • Hunters with a valid Horseshoe Lake-Madison County Muzzleloader only permit are permitted to hunt on Bend Road or the southern half of Walker’s Island. All other areas are closed to deer hunting.

Special CWD 

Not available at this site.

Youth Firearm 

Not available at this site.

Turkey

Fall Archery

Not available at this site.

Fall Shotgun

Not available at this site.

Spring

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

  • Site-specific permits must be obtained via statewide lottery drawing.  
  • Hunting hours ½ hour before sunrise to 1 pm.
  • Hunting is allowed in the Bend Road Unit only.
  • 3 hunters per season allowed.
  • In addition to the IL Check System per Statewide regulations, hunters must submit the harvest sheet provided by the Site Superintendent.

Youth Spring

Not available at this site.

Waterfowl

Ducks/Coots/Mergansers

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

Waterfowl Season (Regular Duck/Canada Goose Season) 

  • Only ducks, mergansers, coots, and geese can be hunted 
  • Hunting from ½ hour before sunrise to 3:30 p.m., except hunting hours for the last 3 days of the season will extend to sunset 
  • It shall be unlawful to trespass upon a designated waterfowl hunting area between sunset of the Sunday immediately preceding opening day of regular duck season through the day before regular duck season as posted at the site 
  • All hunting must be from a waterfowl blind 
  • All hunters must report to check station to fill out information cards and to present their hunting license or firearm owners identification FOID cards before proceeding to blinds 
  • Registered blind builders must claim their blind by reporting to the check station 1 hour before the opening shooting hour each day. Blinds not claimed by blind builders will be available in a daily drawing. After the drawing, any blind which has not been assigned will be on a first-come, first-serve basis from 9 am – 12 pm 
  • All hunting will be from registered blinds only and hunters must occupy their blinds within one hour after blind is assigned on any specific day. 
  • All hunters must check out within 1 hour of the close of legal shooting hours. At this time all waterfowl and coots bagged must be reported by submitting harvest card 
  • No more than 4 persons shall occupy a blind. Blinds may not be locked 
  • No one under 16 years old shall hunt unless accompanied by an adult 
  • All hunters must hunt over at least 12 decoys. Decoys shall be staked, placed, or floating and be individually visible, be at least 8 inches long and not be within a boat, blind or container. Decoys may be left overnight or for the season.

Teal

  • Teal hunting hours will be sunrise to sunset
  • Hunters are required to check in and out at the sign-in box located at the Site office 
  • All hunting is from blind locations. Blinds need not be completed 
  • Blind builders must claim their blind no later than 1 hour before shooting time. If the blind is not claimed 1 hour before shooting time, the blind may be occupied on a first-come, first-serve basis 
  • No more than 4 persons can occupy a blind at one time 
  • No one under 16 years old shall hunt unless accompanied by an adult 

Goose

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

Early Goose/Late Goose

  • Hunting hours for Early Canada Goose: ½ hour before sunrise to sunset 
  • Hunting hours for Late Goose: ½ hour before sunrise to 3:30 pm. except during the last 3 days will extend to sunset 
  • Hunters are required to check in and out at the sign-in box located at the Site office 
  • All hunting is from blind locations. Blinds need not be completed 
  • Blind builders must claim their blind no later than 1 hour before shooting time. If the blind is not claimed 1 hour before shooting time, the blind may be occupied on a first-come, first-serve basis 
  • No more than 4 persons can occupy a blind at one time 
  • No one under 16 years old shall hunt unless accompanied by an adult 
  • Hunters must hunt over at least 12 goose decoys 

Regular Goose Season

  • Only ducks, mergansers, coots, and geese can be hunted 
  • Hunting from ½ hour before sunrise to 3:30 p.m., except hunting hours for the last 3 days of the season will extend to sunset 
  • It shall be unlawful to trespass upon a designated waterfowl hunting area between sunset of the Sunday immediately receding opening day of regular duck season through the day before regular duck season as posted at the site 
  • All hunting must be from a waterfowl blind 
  • All hunters must report to check station to fill out information cards and to present their hunting license or firearm owners identification FOID cards before proceeding to blinds 
  • Registered blind builders must claim their blind by reporting to the check station 1 hour before the opening shooting hour each day. Blinds not claimed by blind builders will be available in a daily drawing. After the drawing, any blind which has not been assigned will be on a first-come, first-serve basis from 9 am – 12 pm 
  • All hunting will be from registered blinds only and hunters must occupy their blinds within one hour after blind is assigned on any specific day. 
  • All hunters must check out within 1 hour of the close of legal shooting hours. At this time all waterfowl and coots bagged must be reported by submitting harvest card 
  • No more than 4 persons shall occupy a blind. Blinds may not be locked 
  • No one under 16 years old shall hunt unless accompanied by an adult 
  • All hunters must hunt over at least 12 decoys. Decoys shall be staked, placed, or floating and be individually visible, be at least 8 inches long and not be within a boat, blind or container. Decoys may be left overnight or for the season 

Conservation Order Snow Goose Season 

  • ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset 
  • All hunting must be from a waterfowl blind 
  • All hunters must sign in before hunt and sign out and report their results at the end of hunt. The sign-in box is located at  the Main Office 

Snipe/Rail

Not available at this site.

Youth Waterfowl

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

  • Youth waterfowl hunting is typically held the weekend preceding the Illinois Central Zone duck season opening date. 
  • Hunting hours ½ hour before sunrise to 3:30 p.m. 
  • Hunters required to check in at check station 

Upland/Small Game

Controlled Pheasant Hunting 

Not available at this site.

Crow

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

  • Hunting season is February 1-28 
  • Hunting hours are ½ hour before sunrise to sunset 
  • Hunters are required to get a site permit and harvest sheet from the site office prior to hunting 
  • Harvest sheets are to be returned to the site office by March 15 
  • Hunting is restricted to the Bend Road area 
  • Harvested crows must be removed from site property and properly disposed 

Dove

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

  • Dove hunting from Sept 1-5 is by site-specific permit only. Permits are issued from the Springfield Permit Office. Sept 6-30, a daily drawing will be held at the site office each time there are more hunters than the site’s daily quota 
  • Registration is from 9am -11am
  • Hunting hours are from 12 pm – 5 pm daily 
  • Hunting is done beside numbered stakes. When a dove is downed, hunters are required to leave their gun at their stake while retrieving their bird. Hunters must hunt within 10 feet of assigned stake 
  • Hunters must report their harvest at the end of each day 
  • Each hunter’s harvested doves must be kept in separate bags by each hunter 
  • Only non-toxic shot shells are permitted. Steel shot size # 6 or # 7 1/2 bismuth or smaller is allowed 
  • No cleaning of doves is permitted at check station or in the hunting field 
  • It is the hunter’s responsibility to remove all refuse, including empty shotgun shells, from the hunting area once they have finished hunting. 
  • Non-hunters are not allowed in the fields 

Youth Dove

  • All dove regulations listed above for dove hunting apply. 
  • The 1 day youth dove hunt is held the first weekend in September or Labor Day, whichever comes first. 
  • Hunting is by permit. A standby drawing may be available if permit holders do not show up. 
  • Check in time is from 10 am – 11 am. 
  • Each youth hunter must be between the ages of 8 – 17, and youths must be accompanied by a supervising adult. 
  • Either the youth hunter or supervising adult must possess a F.O.I.D card. 

Pheasant/Quail/Partridge 

Not available at this site.

Rabbits

Not available at this site.

Squirrels

Not available at this site.

Woodcock

Not available at this site.

Furbearers

Furbearer Trapping

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

  • Trappers must obtain permits, allocated via a public drawing held at the site office during the last week of October. Registration begins at 10 am, and the drawing will be at 11 am. 
  • Trappers must possess a 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. 
  • During the waterfowl season, live traps and land sets only are allowed. 
  • All trapping will resume after the close of waterfowl season. 
  • Harvest report must be submitted by Apr 1 after the season. 

Furbearer Hunting

Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:

  • Bow and Arrow only for hunters with a valid site issued archery deer permit during archery deer season. 
  • Site opens up to statewide regulations during the month of February. 
  • February coyote season needs to obtain a site permit from site office. 
  • Rimfire rifles .22 caliber and smaller may be used from sunset to sunrise. 
  • Coyote and striped skunk season coincides with the statewide fox season. 

Amenities

Boat ramp

More information