How to bid on the Clinton Lake farm lease for Illinois DNR

What Illinois DNR is offering

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is seeking bids to lease about 167.07 acres at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area for agricultural farming in 2027. The land is in DeWitt County, Illinois.

The estimated annual value to the state is $21,050.82, based on $126 per acre. The estimated annual value to the vendor is $123,946.47. The invitation for bid has the parcel locations and acreage details. A farm operator may care about this opportunity if the land and lease terms fit its operation.

Key date and deadline

The bid is due November 18, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET. Submit before the deadline and follow the submission directions in the invitation for bid.

The provided information does not specify what happens after the deadline.

Who this opportunity may suit

This lease may suit agricultural businesses or farm operators able to farm the listed state-owned parcels in DeWitt County during the 2027 crop year. Review the invitation for bid to confirm the parcel details and whether the lease fits your operation.

How to access and submit a bid

Find solicitation 27-422DNR-REALT-B-54115 on BidBuy, the State of Illinois procurement portal. Viewing the bid page and its listed documents is public and does not require sign-in.

To submit electronically, register a free vendor account on the portal. Otherwise, follow the submission directions in the bid documents. The listed point of contact is Melanie Dodd at [email protected].

Prepare a careful, competitive response

Read the full invitation for bid, especially the parcel locations, acreage, and response instructions. Check that you understand the unit-cost basis and how the bid asks you to state your offer.

Estimate your costs and expected farm revenue using your own operating assumptions. Verify that your response includes every item the bid requests, allow time to complete portal registration if needed, and submit well before the deadline.