SHABBONA LAKE STATUS REPORT SUMMARY
CHANNEL CATFISH: Shabbona Lake is a 319-acre impoundment constructed in 1974. It is located in the DeKalb area situated in the 1,550-acre Shabbona Lake State Park.
On a yearly basis reliable stocks of 8" catfish from the hatchery system began in 1981. From 1985 to 1991 (6 years) 77,476 catfish have been stocked (average 40 per acre), and from 1991 through 2000 (10 years) 114,515 catfish have been stocked or 36 per acre per year. From 2001 to the present, 34,833 or 28 per acre have been stocked.
A 1988 creel census found 11.1 pounds of catfish per acre caught with 79% of these fish harvested or 8.8 pounds per acre. Both harvested and released catfish weighed close to 1 pound.
The 1990 creel census found an increase to 16.4 pounds of catfish per acre caught with an 88% harvest or 14.5 pounds per acre. This year the harvested fish weighed nearly 2 pounds.
The 1997 creel census found 21.3 pounds per acre caught with 74% harvested or 15.8 pounds per acre. These fish averaged 1.64 pounds.
In the 2002 creel census channel catfish were harvested at 26.8 pounds per acre and averaged 2.9 pounds.
Catfish angling should continue to improve in 2006, with catfish as large
as 15 pounds.
LARGEMOUTH BASS: SHABBONA LAKE - This 319-acre lake was
built in 1974 and partially funded with Sport Fish Restoration monies.
With fishing as the main purpose of the lake, it was first opened to anglers
in 1977 with standing timber, stump fields, fish cribs, anchored trees,
rock piles, and earthen fishing piers in place.
In addition to largemouth bass, Shabbona Lake’s predator population includes sizeable walleye and muskie populations along with the recently-introduced hybrid striped bass.
Shabbona Lake was opened with a 14" size limit in effect, but as time passed and the exploitation rate increased, a daily limit of one bass per day was implemented.
Creel census data from 1990 documented a fishing effort of 624 man-hours per acre. The largemouth bass catch totaled 12,784 fish weighing 8,300 pounds with a harvest of 1,431 bass (11%) weighing 2,639 pounds. The average size of bass caught weighed 3/4 of a pound and those harvested weighed 1.85 pounds for a total of 8.3 pounds per acre.
The 1997 creel census found a fishing effort of 502 man-hours per acre. The largemouth bass catch was estimated to be 29.9 bass per acre or 36.3 pounds per acre of fish that averaged 1.21 pounds while harvest was 1.4 bass per acre (4.7%) or 3.96 pounds per acre of bass that averaged 2.8 pounds.
There are three fish rearing ponds at Shabbona Lake. From 1996 through 2002, at least one or two ponds have produced 11,810 largemouth bass 4.5" to 5.5" and 21,172 smallmouth bass 3.5" to 5.5". In 2003, two ponds produced 4,268 largemouth bass at 4.4" and the smallmouth bass pond produced 2,226 fish at 5.2".
The largemouth bass population of Shabbona Lake is continually improving. Fall electrofishing surveys find 8 to 9 year classes of bass with several individuals up to 20" in size.
From 1990 through 1994, bass were electrofished at a rate of 100 per hour with 23 per hour of these fish 8" in size or larger.
From 1995 through 1999, bass were electrofished at an average rate of 161 per hour with 39 per hour of these fish 8" and larger in size. From 2000 to the present, bass were electrofished at an average rate of 147 per hour with 55 per hour 8" or larger. Smallmouth bass have shown greater numbers yearly with increasing size.
Bass fishing has been good for the past several years and it will be good this year with many large fish taken.
MUSKIE: SHABBONA LAKE - This lake was built in 1974 and
first opened to fishing in 1977. The lake is 319 acres and the basin was
shaped and designed with Sport Fish Restoration funds. Standing timber,
stump fields, fish cribs, anchored trees, rock piles, fish piers, a gravel
road bridge, and a cement block house provide some very interesting structures
for the angler. The shoreline is well-vegetated with a variety of aquatic
plants including water lily.
In addition to muskie, the lake’s predator population includes largemouth bass in substantial numbers, walleye, smallmouth bass, and hybrid striped bass supplementally stocked yearly. The prey population includes gizzard shad, yellow perch, golden shiners, white suckers, brook silversides, and carp.
The lake was initially stocked with 30,000 tiger muskie fry in 1976. The stocking success was excellent with 53 tiger muskie collected in the fall electrofishing survey of 1976. The lake was again stocked with 286 tiger muskie fingerlings in 1980.
Two state record tiger muskie were claimed from Shabbona Lake; the first in 1982 from the original stock and the second in 1986 from the supplemental stock.
From 1983 to 1989 the lake was stocked with 2,229 pure muskie at 11" in size from the Carlton Silt Basin and Muskie, Inc. This stocking effort has been a success since two state records came from the 1985 stocking at 34 pounds, 3 ounces in 1994 and a latter state record in 1997 at 37 pounds, 13 ounces.
From 1990 through 1999 - 4,812 muskie 8" to 12" were stocked from Jake Wolf Hatchery or through a purchase by the Shabbona Lake Sportsmen’s Club. Muskie will be stocked only in odd years beginning in 2001 with 638 fish or 2 per acre followed by 638 fish in 2003.
April trapnetting for walleye (1997-2002) yielded 283 muskie with two estimated to be over 40 pounds. With reduced efforts in 2003, 28 muskie were captured.
The long-awaited barrier net was completed on August 4, 1998 completely blocking the exit of larger fish over the spillway. Prior to the net’s installation, members of Muskie, Inc. collected 22 muskie below the dam in the Indian Creek tailwaters. A similar September survey found only one muskie. The 2003 fishing season was very good for muskie anglers and the 2004 season will be the same.
There is a 48" size limit on muskie at Shabbona Lake with a limit
of one per day.
WALLEYE AND SAUGER: Shabbona Lake is located in the 1,550-acre Shabbona Lake State Park in the DeKalb area. The lake was built in 1974 and first opened to fishing in 1977. Walleye stocking was initiated in 1975 but reliable, yearly stocks began in earnest in 1983 from the state hatchery system, rearing ponds, and local sportsmen’s club donations. From 1992 through 2002 small fingerlings have been added yearly from the state hatchery system, and 19,915, 4-8" large fingerlings have been periodically stocked through angler donations and from a rearing pond located in the park. Additional large fingerlings were stocked in late 2002 through Sportsmen’s Club donations.
Creel census data were taken in 1988, 1990, 1997 and 2002. The 1988 creel revealed a harvest of 10.2 pounds per acre of walleye that averaged 1.25 pounds under a catch rate of .038 fish per hour. With this catch rate and the publicity it generated, 1989 was a banner fishing year. The 1990 creel census found a lesser harvest of 2.6 pounds per acre of slightly smaller fish that averaged 1.17 pounds under a catch rate of .01 fish per hour. The 1997 creel data found an estimated 1,623 walleye caught (5.3 per acre) that weighed 1316.4 pounds (4.3 pounds per acre) of fish that averaged .81 pounds. Seventeen and one-half percent of these fish were harvested or an estimated 284 walleye (1 per acre) that weighed 763 pounds (2.5 pounds per acre) of fish that averaged 2.7 pounds. In 2002 anglers caught 11 pounds per acre. The average size of harvested walleye was 1.6 pounds.
Shabbona Lake was first explored as a source for brood fish in 1989 when 192 walleye were netted and electrofished in April. The lake became a reliable source of brood fish in 1995 when 42 females between 2.5 to 11 pounds and 107 males between 15.5 to 25.9" up to 6 pounds were taken as brood stock to the LaSalle Hatchery. From 1996 through 2001, 360 males and 293 females produced 15.9 million walleye and saugeye fry at the LaSalle Hatchery. With other lake being explored as a source of brood fish, Shabbona Lake’s 25 females produced 1,498,000 fry in 2002, and 14 females produced 1,040,000 fry in 2003. A total of 3,024,772 fry were produced in 2004. Shabbona was not used as a brood lake in 2005 after the State closed Spring Grove Hatchery. Walleye were brought down from the Chain of Lakes. The lake’s largest walleye at 9.9 pounds was taken in 2001 with good catches made throughout 2003, and a very good outlook expected for 2005. Most walleye will again be taken on the outer edge of the weed line, in deep timber, and along the dam. There is a minimum size limit of 18" with a catch limit of six per day.
