Kishwaukee River State Fish and Wildlife Area is a protected tract in northern Illinois along the south bank of the South Branch Kishwaukee River west of Kirkland. Covering 570 acres in DeKalb County beside MacQueen Forest Preserve, it became state land in 2002 through a purchase supported by $2.68 million from the Illinois Open Land Trust. At the same time, DeKalb County sought about 300 acres on the river’s north side, later established as Potawatomi Woods Forest Preserve. Together these acquisitions created more than 900 acres of public land along 3.2 miles of river, preserving a broader corridor for wildlife habitat, fishing, and outdoor use.