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Illinois Waterfowl Zones, North Central and South Road Boundaries
The three duck and goose zones as the Digest defines them, by roads and the Mississippi River, with season dates by zone and no county assignments.
Photo: CheepShot (CC BY 2.0)
Illinois waterfowl zones, defined by roads
Illinois splits waterfowl hunting into a North, Central and South Zone, and the Digest defines every boundary with named roads and the Mississippi River. There is no county list, so this page never assigns a county to a zone; read each description, then compare it with a highway map. Ducks, mergansers, coots and scaup use the duck zones, while Canada geese, light geese, white-fronted geese and brant use a goose zone map whose North and Central lines differ from the duck lines. The South Zone is the same for both. The season dates for each zone follow the road wording.
From Digest waterfowl zone pages and IDNR 2026-2030 waterfowl seasons and zones (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Duck zone boundaries as the Digest prints them
| Zone | Duck zone boundary |
|---|---|
| North Zone | That portion of the state north of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Peotone-Beecher Road to Illinois Route 50, south along Illinois Route 50 to Wilmington-Peotone Road, west along Wilmington-Peotone Road to Illinois Route 53, north along Illinois Route 53 to New River Road, northwest along New River Road to Interstate Highway 55, south along I-55 to Pine Bluff-Lorenzo Road, west along Pine Bluff-Lorenzo Road to Illinois Route 47, north along Illinois Route 47 to I-80, west along I-80 to I-39, south along I-39 to Illinois Route 18, west along Illinois Route 18 to Illinois Route 29, south along Illinois Route 29 to Illinois Route 17, west along Illinois Route 17 to the Mississippi River, and due south across the Mississippi River to the Iowa border. |
| Central Zone | That portion of the state south of the North Duck Zone line to a line extending west from the Indiana border along I-70 to Illinois Route 4, south along Illinois Route 4 to Illinois Route 161, west along Illinois Route 161 to Illinois Route 158, south and west along Illinois Route 158 to Illinois Route 159, south along Illinois Route 159 to Illinois Route 3, south along Illinois Route 3 to State Leo’s Road, south along State Leo’s road to Modoc Road, west along Modoc Road to Modoc Ferry Road, southwest along Modoc Ferry Road to Levee Road, southeast along Levee Road to County Route 12 (Modoc Ferry entrance Road), south along County Route 12 to the Modoc Ferry route and southwest on the Modoc Ferry route across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border. |
| South Zone | The remainder of the state. |
From Digest waterfowl zone pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Goose zone boundaries as the Digest prints them
| Zone | Goose zone boundary |
|---|---|
| North Zone | That portion of the state north of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Interstate 80 to I-39, south along I-39 to Illinois Route 18, west along Illinois Route 18 to Illinois Route 29, south along Illinois Route 29 to Illinois Route 17, west along Illinois Route 17 to the Mississippi River, and due south across the Mississippi River to the Iowa border. |
| Central Zone | That portion of the state south of the North Goose Zone line to a line extending west from the Indiana border along I-70 to Illinois Route 4, south along Illinois Route 4 to Illinois Route 161, west along Illinois Route 161 to Illinois Route 158, south and west along Illinois Route 158 to Illinois Route 159, south along Illinois Route 159 to Illinois Route 3, south along Illinois Route 3 to State Leo’s Road, south along State Leo’s road to Modoc Road, west along Modoc Road to Modoc Ferry Road, southwest along Modoc Ferry Road to Levee Road, southeast along Levee Road to County Route 12 (Modoc Ferry entrance Road), south along County Route 12 to the Modoc Ferry route and southwest on the Modoc Ferry route across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border. |
| South Zone | Same zone as for ducks. |
From Digest waterfowl zone pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Season dates by zone
| Species | Season | Zone | Dates | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ducks | Regular duck season | North Zone |
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| Ducks | Regular duck season | Central Zone |
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| Ducks | Regular duck season | South Zone |
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| Ducks | Scaup | North Zone |
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| Ducks | Scaup | Central Zone |
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| Ducks | Scaup | South Zone |
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| Canada Goose | Early season | North and Central Zones |
| 5 daily, 15 possession |
| Canada Goose | Early season | South Zone |
| 2 daily, 6 possession |
| Canada Goose | Regular season | North Zone |
| 3 daily, 9 possession |
| Canada Goose | Regular season | Central Zone |
| 3 daily, 9 possession |
| Canada Goose | Regular season | South Zone |
| 3 daily, 9 possession |
| Snow Geese | Regular season | North Zone |
| 20 daily, unlimited possession |
| Snow Geese | Regular season | Central Zone |
| 20 daily, unlimited possession |
| Snow Geese | Regular season | South Zone |
| 20 daily, unlimited possession |
| Snow Geese | Conservation Order | North Zone |
| No limits set |
| Snow Geese | Conservation Order | Central and South Zones |
| No limits set |
| White-fronted Goose | Regular season | North Zone |
| 2 daily, 6 possession |
| White-fronted Goose | Regular season | Central Zone |
| 2 daily, 6 possession |
| White-fronted Goose | Regular season | South Zone |
| 2 daily, 6 possession |
| Youth Waterfowl Days | Youth waterfowl | North Zone |
| Same as regular seasons |
| Youth Waterfowl Days | Youth waterfowl | Central Zone |
| Same as regular seasons |
| Youth Waterfowl Days | Youth waterfowl | South Zone |
| Same as regular seasons |
Teal (September 5 to 13), rails (September 5 to November 13) and snipe (September 5 to December 20) are statewide rows with no zones.
From Digest waterfowl season tables (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Close view of a mallard drake on the waterPhoto: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A flock of blue-winged teal in flightPhoto: Mike Budd (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region) (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
A wood duck drake standing on a log above its reflectionPhoto: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Waterfowl zones, answered
Which zone is my county in?
The Digest does not say; zones follow roads, so a county can lie on both sides of a line. Use the road description with a map.
Why are there no county lists?
Zones are defined by road boundaries; there is no published county list.
Are duck and goose zones the same?
Not entirely: the South Zone is the same, but the North and Central lines differ because the goose North Zone line follows Interstate 80 and the duck line follows Peotone-Beecher Road and other roads.
When does duck season open in each zone?
North October 24, Central October 31 and South November 14, 2026, each with its own split.
Is teal season zoned?
No: early teal runs September 5 to 13 statewide.
Which dates are set aside for young waterfowlers?
Youth waterfowl days: North October 17-18, Central October 24-25, South November 7 and January 30.
What stamps are required?
State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp ($15.00) from age 18, Federal stamp ($25.00) from age 16, HIP certification, hunting license and habitat stamp.
How do public waterfowl sites work?
Public waterfowl site permits by internet lottery: first (residents only) August 16-31, second September 1-15, third September 16-28, then first-come-first-served (Digest p.33 printed).
What happens after the regular light goose season?
The Conservation Order, a late season for light geese after the regular season, to April 30, with no daily or possession limit and unplugged shotguns and electronic calls allowed.
Other photos on this page: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0); Mike Budd (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region) (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0).