Fox Waterway Agency - Serving the Fox River Chain O' Lakes in Lake and Mchenry counties in Illinois

03/18/2010	Fox River Status Update March 18, 2010 Click here to view
03/15/2010	NO WAKE on lower river effective 8am this morning. Due to Spring thaw and runoff, boating conditions are not favorable. Captains should use caution and watch for floating debris and ice floes. IDNR will be updating Gate Operations and those reports are posted here as received.
02/24/2010	Public Notice/Application # LRC-2009-00503. Comment Period Begins Feb. 23, 2010 and Comment Period Ends Mar. 23, 2010. Proposed Action - to Construct an In-lake Sediment Storage and Dewatering Facility Adjacent to Trinski's Island. Click here to view Application For Permit Click here for additional information on the project.
02/09/2010	N O T I C E: We have received many 2010 Sticker Renewals in the mail with INCOMPLETE INFORMATION and they WILL NOT be processed. We will try to notify you by the last phone number we have in our system. If you have mailed in your renewal and did not complete the pertinent information needed (Inboard/Outboard, IL#, etc.)... Please call our office during normal business hours with the missing information needed and we will be happy to process your 2010 Sticker Renewal.
02/08/2010	SNOWMOBILES are regulated by the State of Illinois. Illinois Conservation Police can be contacted at 847-608-3100. The FWA discourages venturing onto the ice.
11/09/2009	WINTER STATUS: Generally begins when the winter drawdown starts and ends around mid-March. Boating is permitted. Although buoys are removed, normal summer zones are still in place, and consideration is requested for the residents in the area.
09/02/2009	Lake County Sheriff Dispatch Unit 847-549-5200 McHenry County Dispatch Unit 815-338-2144

The Illinois Fox River Chain O'Lakes is the busiest inland recreational waterway per acre in the entire United States. Only an hour's drive from Chicago, Milwaukee, and Rockford, and with over 7,100 acres of water, 15 lakes and 45 miles of river. This "Key West of the Midwest" accommodates every water-borne activity including boating, swimming, tubing, waterskiing, hunting and fishing, and appeals to everyone from families and couples, to the more adventurous weekender. Chicagoland's playground for over 100 years also boasts some of the best restaurants and marinas, two State Parks and other entertainment venues and events unique only to the Fox River Chain O'Lakes.

Webcam from Fox Waterway Agency Headquarters Pistakee Lake

The Fox Waterway Agency is the proud caretaker of this jewel of the Midwest. We are a "special unit of local government", created by the State of Illinois in 1984, and self-funded. We are NOT a taxing body, rather, we are a "pay to play" system where users of the waterway buy a sticker to fund the maintenance of the waterway! With baseline programs in dredging, navigational aides (buoys) and public safety (debris), the Fox Waterway Agency is also involved in a wide-range of public benefit programs and community support activities to enhance the recreational and tourist opportunities of this natural resource. Recently, we have begun a campaign to recycle lake sediment as topsoil to help fund more water quality projects and create more recreational opportunities. The forefathers of the Agency saw an Agency that "coordinated the efforts of Federal, State and local partners", and we do that well.

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		2010 BOATNG CLASSES HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED! (See our Meetings & Classes Page For More Details) Please note that there will be additional information requested on your renewal cards. All information new/missing must be filled out in order to receive your stickers for the 2010 Season! This requirement is for anyone who purchases their stickers through the Mail, Internet, Satellite offices or the Fox Waterway Office.