Top Fishing Destinations in Illinois: Shabbona Lake

Top Fishing Destinations in Illinois: Shabbona Lake

By: Jon Giacalone

Shabbona Lake, located in DeKalb County, was created in 1975 when the Shabbona Dam was constructed across Indian Creek. The 1,550-acre Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area surrounds the lake. There is no entrance fee, and summer hours are 6:00AM to 10:00PM (May 1 - October 31), while winter hours are 8:00AM to sunset (November 1 - April 30). The Upper Fishing Area and Lower Refuge Area at the west end of the lake are designated no-wake areas, and the use of gas engines is prohibited. Gas motors over 10 horsepower are not permitted on Shabbona Lake. Bank fishing and boat access are prohibited in the Lower Refuge Area from October 1 to freeze-up. During periods of severe weather, condition warning flags are displayed at the access sites. For those looking to fish from shore, five earthen fishing piers have been built along the west shore. Each pier is surrounded by six to eight fish cribs placed in approximately 10 feet of water.

Submergent species of vegetation include coontail, Eurasian watermilfoil and several varieties of pondweed. The deep weedline forms at about 15 feet. Cattail and white water lily are scattered along the shore. The Shabbona Sportsman's Club built rearing ponds near Shabbona Lake for raising walleye fry to fingerling and yearling sizes. Muskies, Inc. (Chicagoland Muskie Hunters) has contributed many of the muskie fingerling.

To find a detailed lake map and real-time fishing reports follow the Shabbona Lake waterway page on Fishidy.

Here are some tips for locating and catching fish on Shabbona Lake:

During the first safe ice of the season, the green weed growth, shallow stumps and downed timber provide the most consistent action for bluegill and crappie. Small teardrop jigs tipped with waxworms are usually effective on bluegill, while crappie prefer a silver or chartreuse colored jigging spoon that imitates shad.

Throughout the winter season, the majority of panfish and gamefish activity is centered around fish cribs and areas of deep submerged wood. During this period, the 10- to 30-foot depths are the most productive.

When the surface water temperatures reach about 50 degrees, largemouth bass become active in the northern bays and inlet areas. Concentrate on stumps and downed timber, and use jig n' pig combos or four-inch pre-rigged plastic worms.

In early spring, small male walleye remain on the riprap by the dam during the spawning period. Work the base of the rock with a slip bobber or a Fuzz-E-Grub jig tipped with a fathead minnow. Often times, the larger female walleye relate to the wood along the bends of the creek channel or areas of developing weed growth.


From early June until the end of October, most muskie are taken from the fish attractors, deep wood and weed edges. Muskie follow schools of shad and are often suspended six to nine feet below the surface. Trolling deep-diving crankbaits and spoonplugs is a popular summer method for locating suspended muskie.

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