Crews Sink 875 Christmas Trees in Rend Lake
Donated trees are being bundled, weighted and placed underwater to create fish habitat in the southern Illinois reservoir.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Fishing
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Conservation crews sank 875 donated Christmas trees in Rend Lake to create fish shelters. Local businesses donated the unwanted trees for the habitat project near the South Sandusky Boat Ramp.
Why it matters
Natural branches give smaller fish places to hide from predators, and the submerged wood also supports algae and microorganisms that feed the food chain. For Illinois anglers, the project aims to improve fishing in a man-made lake where natural underwater structure may be limited.
Artificial and flocked trees are not accepted in the Army Corps of Engineers collection program, so only natural trees were used. Rend Lake was completed in 1971 and supports largemouth bass, crappie, white bass and catfish.
The players
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
The state agency responsible for managing Illinois's fish, wildlife and natural resources, including reservoir habitat programs.
US Army Corps of Engineers
The federal agency that manages Rend Lake and operates the tree collection program used for the project.
Sesser-Valier Outdoorsmen Club
A local outdoors group from the Sesser and Valier area of southern Illinois that helped carry out the habitat work.
The details
Volunteers bundled the trees together and secured them with weights so they would stay underwater. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, US Army Corps of Engineers staff and the Sesser-Valier Outdoorsmen Club ran the project.
Timeline
After Christmas: local businesses donated unwanted trees for the project.
Culture Shift
Community-driven habitat projects built from donated holiday trees follow a long tradition of anglers and local clubs sinking brush piles to improve reservoir fishing. The Rend Lake effort fits that pattern by using the Corps' collection program to give post-holiday trees a second use.
Anglers fishing Rend Lake may find new structure near the South Sandusky Boat Ramp as the trees settle. Residents who want to donate natural trees after the holidays can check with Army Corps of Engineers collection programs, since artificial or flocked trees are not accepted.
The takeaway
Donated holiday trees can do double duty, giving smaller fish shelter while keeping usable material out of landfills. The habitat benefits build gradually, so the trees will need periodic replacement as they decompose.
Further reading
For more on local waters, explore Fishing coverage across Illinois.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
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