State park lake

Shabbona Lake

DeKalb County, Illinois

Shabbona Lake is in Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area in DeKalb County. It is called the Muskie Capitol of Illinois and has produced six state record fish.

Air temp Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Shabbona Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area319 acres

Max depth—

Shoreline—

Boat motorsNo-wake speed for all motors; upper 18-acre area is electric motors or rowing only

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Muskellunge●●●●○

Lake has produced four state records

Largemouth Bass●●●○○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Walleye●●●○○

Points, flats and reefs at low light. Jigs and live bait early, crankbaits and crawler harnesses in summer.

Crappie●●●○○

Hybrid crappie records also came from here

Bluegill●●●○○

Weed beds and shallow flats in late spring.

Smallmouth Bass●●○○○

Rock, gravel and points. Tubes, jerkbaits and drop-shots.

Boat launches

5 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Day-use area rampRamp
Double-lane launch rampDirections ↗
Campground rampRamp
Single-lane rampDirections ↗
Boondock Supply concessionMarina
Bait, tackle and boat rentals on siteDirections ↗
Upper fishing areaPublic
18 acres, electric trolling motors or rowing onlyDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See the IDNR or lake website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Shabbona Lake are published by the state. Look up the current size and creel limits for this lake directly: Illinois Department of Natural Resources ↗

Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Boondock Supply (Shabbona Lake State Park concession)Nearby
Shabbona Lake State Park, Shabbona, IL815-824-2581 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Shabbona Lake ↗

Local tips

Plan on a slow no-wake pace for the whole lake.
Bank and pier fishing are popular if you have no boat.
Swimming and wading are not allowed, so stay on shore or in a boat.

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.

More Illinois lakes

Lake Shelbyville Fox Chain O'Lakes Crab Orchard Lake Clinton Lake Lake Springfield Lake Decatur Kinkaid Lake Horseshoe Lake (Madison County) All Illinois lakes →

Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.