We have a small 20 acre fishing lake on our farm in Illinois.  It has become overpopulated with 6 to 8 inch largemouth bass.  Currently we are trying to remove as many of these small bass as possible while increasing habitat structures for bluegill and crappie.  We are wondering if there is a problem with putting the small bass we catch, which could number into the hundreds or thousands, into a nearby small creek?

From a liability point of view, I wouldn't move them into another body of water . In a lot of states it's a crime to move fish. The reasoning being ecosystem balance, parasites, and just general unforseen outcomes. 

I would say it’s not allowed without speaking with the Illinois DNR. 
 

I don’t work for the DNR, but a quick Google search came up with this statement:

 

In the fall of 2008, an emergency administrative rule was adopted making it illegal in Illinois to move fish from one water body to another without written permission from DNR, in an attempt to curtail the spread of disease. 

Feed them to the birds and turtles. Sing the circle of life while throwing them over the dam. 

 

6-8" are pretty small though, bite sized. You may want to cull a slightly larger class, depending on the situation and your goals. 

From the 2025 Illinois Fishing Regulations booklet:

 

"Fish may be immediately released back into the

waters from which they were taken, but permission

from the Department of Natural Resources must

be secured before releasing fish in other waters"

 

So I would say you cannot release them in a small creek without permission from the Illinois DNR.

Ok all good to know.  Thanks for the quick responses!

Have kids catch & keep fishing derby.

Tom

You said you live on a farm🤔I remember our neighbor keeping a ton of small fish that became fertilizer for his tomato plants and although I never ate them I heard they were quite delicious. 

Just know that possession is what matters, doesn't matter where they came from. My state has a 5 fish limit for lm bass per person, with 2 allowed over 14 inches per day I believe. If you get caught with 100 bass, you could face stiff penalties

We had a 17 acre farm pond growing up and we had a fish fry every couple of months and big bass flourished.

That or introduce snakeheads, your choice.

2 hours ago, Eric 26 said:

You said you live on a farm🤔I remember our neighbor keeping a ton of small fish that became fertilizer for his tomato plants and although I never ate them I heard they were quite delicious. 

When my dad and I would clean bluegills and throw the guts and heads on the tomato plants, they went nuts