Mississippi River Pool 16
Site Contact Info
Office phone: (815) 273-2733
Office address: c/o District Wildlife Biologist, 16327A IL Rt 84, Savanna, IL 61074
Site coordinates: 41.44473 -90.8385
County: Rock Island
Site Maps
Site Characteristics
Huntable acres: 4,492
Habitat: Timbered islands with sheltered shallow bays, channels and potholes which provide hunting for puddle ducks. Diving ducks frequent the deeper waters and main channel. Bottomland forests exist, which provide deer and squirrel hunting. Most access is by boat only.
Location: On the Illinois side of the Mississippi River from Lock and Dam 16 to the I-280 bridge. Upper Pool Area consists of Pool 16 above Velie Chute (RM 466 on the north and RM 468.4 on the south), excluding Goose Pond and Sunfish Slough (Blinds 257-274) and Milan Bottoms (shoreline areas above RM 475). Andalusia Refuge is west of Loud Thunder Forest Preserve, next to and including Dead Slough between river miles 462 and 463.
Active habitat management will occur throughout the year on the site, including prescribed burning.
Site Specific Regulations
Statewide and associated species regulations apply at the site unless noted hereafter.
Andalusia Refuge: No fishing, hunting, trapping, or walking in this area from Oct 1- Dec 31.
Except for waterfowl, no hunting within 100 yards of occupied duck blinds.
No fishing allowed within 250 yards of occupied duck blinds during the waterfowl season
One non-piercing, portable tree stand or ground blind per hunter. Stand must be identified with the hunter’s name and address. May be left unattended from Sept 15 – Jan 31.
Deer
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Late Winter Antlerless
Not available at this site.
Muzzleloader
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
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
Ducks, Coots, & Mergansers
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Waterfowl hunting is restricted to legally registered blind sites, except scull boat hunting is allowed pool-wide; Open hunting is allowed in the Upper Pool Area only
- Maintain a minimum distance of 200 yards between hunting parties
- All hunting parties shall hunt over a spread of at least 12 decoys. Decoys will be staked, placed, or floating; individually visible; at least 8 inches long; and not within a boat, blind, or container.
- Blind construction and maintenance info is available in the Waterfowl Specific Regulations section, or contact the site.
- No weed or brush control around any blind without receiving prior approval from IDNR.
- Blind builders must occupy their blind site ½ hour before the opening shooting hour each day to claim the blind site for that day; After this time, unoccupied blind sites will be available to anyone.
- No hunting party shall remain in a blind after having taken its daily bag limit of ducks or more than 15 minutes after the close of shooting hours on the area.
- No person shall lock a blind.
- No person shall claim, or attempt to claim, a blind which is legally occupied or harass, in any manner, the occupants of a blind which has been legally occupied.
- Blind sites are determined by IDNR; after which, it is the blind builder’s responsibility to see that the blind site has a visible number.
- Blind sites will be allocated for a 2-year period.
- Time and place of the public drawing for blind sites will be publicly announced by IDNR.
- Registrants for a drawing must be at least 16 years of age, possess a current or preceding year’s Illinois hunting license or sportsman’s license (not youth license), a current or preceding year’s Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp (unless exempted by law), and photo ID.
- Persons exempted by law from possessing a hunting license or waterfowl stamp must have a valid photo identification (examples: current FOID Card or driver’s license).
- Applicants must be present for the registration and drawing to be eligible for allocation of a duck blind site.
- The 1st name drawn shall have 1st choice of available sites, 2nd name 2nd choice, etc., until all sites are allocated.
- Blind sites not allocated at the public drawing will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis by calling the District office on the Monday following the public drawing from 8 am – 12 pm. Phone: (815) 273-2733. After this, unregistered blind/hunting sites will be re-allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
- If building a traditional blind, blinds must be completed, including final brushing, 3 weeks before opening day.
- Blind builders shall have until 7 days after the next season’s blind drawing date to salvage materials from blind sites. After that date, blind materials on the site become the property of the new builder(s).
- No more than 3 people can register for 1 blind
- May not register as a blind builder or as a partner for more than 1 blind site on all waterfowl management areas managed by IDNR.
- Flood rules for the allocation of blind areas will be determined from the Rock Island gauge. At 15.0 feet, hunters will retain blind/blind site hunting privileges, and hunting may take place from blinds/blind sites. At 20.0 feet, hunting may take place from any location, first-come, first-served. Hunting parties must stay 200 yards apart.
- Teal hunting: Statewide regulations, except that teal hunting is not restricted to blind sites.
Goose
Available at this site. Follows the same regulations as Ducks, Coots, & Mergansers. See the section above for more information. Additionally, early goose hunting from a completed blind or staked site is waived.
Snipe & Rail
Not available at this site.
Youth Waterfowl
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Note: Youth 16 years or younger shall be under the direct supervision of a non-hunting adult.
Upland & Small Game
Dove
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that a non-toxic shot is required.
Rabbits
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Squirrels
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that hunting with .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms, .25 caliber or smaller air rifles, or muzzleloading black powder rifles is allowed.
Upland Birds
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Note: Although hunting is allowed, habitat suitable for these species is virtually nonexistent, and hunting of these species is considered very poor.
Woodcock
Not available at this site.
Furbearers
Hunting
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Rimfire rifles .22 caliber and smaller may be used from sunset to sunrise.
- Furbearer hunting is closed during Firearm Deer Season
- Hunters with a valid, unfilled firearm deer permit for the hunt area may take coyotes during legal hours of the firearm deer season. Otherwise, the use of shotgun slugs to take furbearing mammals is prohibited on state sites.
- Coyote and striped skunk season coincides with the statewide fox season.
- Groundhog hunting permitted
- No hunting within 100 yards of an occupied blind.
Trapping
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that there is no hunting within 100 yards of an occupied blind
Falconry
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.