COLUMBUS, Indiana (Reuters) - A hike in U.S. short-term interest rates is "on the table" at each policy-setting meeting of the Federal Reserve, but that does not mean it will actually happen, Chicago Fed President Evans said on Monday.

"It could be the case that we don't raise rates until much later this year, but it could be the case that we raise rates in June -- it will be depend on the data and how we all feel about it," Evans, who has a vote this year on the central bank's policy-setting panel, told reporters after a speech here. "I didn't say I would be comfortable with anything, all I said was, we will go into the meeting and the possibility is that we decide to hike, as opposed to a couple of years ago when we issued forward guidance."

Evans has said he does not think it is likely the economy will be ready for a rate hike until early 2016.

(Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Diane Craft)