The land for the Kishwaukee River State Fish and Wildlife Area was acquired by the state of Illinois in 2002. That year, the state purchased of land along the South Branch Kishwaukee River in DeKalb County. While the state acquired the parcel south of the riverbank, DeKalb County was working on acquiring approximately north of the river. The state purchase was facilitated by US$2.68 million from the Illinois Open Land Trust.