Location: Lake Shelbyville is located in Shelby and Moultrie Counties in east-central Illinois, with the dam situated on the Kaskaskia River, east of the City of Shelbyville, Illinois.

Description: This lake has a surface area of 11,100 acres, with a maximum depth of 65 feet, and an average depth of 18 feet. Numerous public boat launching facilities are available, with a fee assessed on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed access area boat ramps, and free access on state park or Corps gravel boat ramps. All tournaments must be scheduled through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

History and Status of the Sport Fishery: The fish population in Lake Shelbyville is surveyed annually. Lake Shelbyville is home to at least 32 species of fish. In addition to the lake, a popular fishery exists in the Kaskaskia River just below the spillway and in the West Okaw and Kaskaskia Rivers upstream of the lake. In cooperation between the USACE and the IDNR, two nursery ponds, 6.5 and 0.7 acres, are utilized to improve fishing quality in Lake Shelbyville.

An annual fish attractor project is coordinated by the USACE in coordination with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) on the third Saturday in March. Fish attractor maps can be found here: http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Lake-Shelbyville/Recreation/Fish-Attractor-Maps/

Additional Lake Information: See the Illinois Fishing Information guide for a complete list of regulations for Lake Shelbyville and other USACE and IDNR project ponds and lakes. Regulation signs are posted at all boat ramps and major access points. All fishing tournaments on USACE ramps require a permit from the USACE office.

NEWS: The Lake Shelbyville Fish Habitat Alliance (LSFHA) was formed in 2017 with the purpose to apply to granting agencies for funding to improve angling quality on Lake Shelbyville. Many individuals, fishing clubs, tournament organizers, businesses, non-governmental organizations, municipalities, and governmental agencies came together to form and successfully support the LSFHA.

Fundraising prior to and after organization, resulted in enough funds received to build ~800 Shelbyville and Georgia cube fish attractors, and an additional 100+ artificial stumps, which have all been placed in the lake through 2019. So far the cubes have been paying off very well, with numerous reports of good catches coming from the cubes. Large numbers of fish are congregating on the structures in as little as two days after deployment, including bass and walleye caught by anglers! Research results indicate good fish use on these structures.

The LSFHA successfully applied for grants through the “Friends of Reservoirs” and receives $30,000, plus an additional $17,000, in winter in 2018. An additional $40,000 FOR grant was won in fall 2019 and will be distributed to the LSFHA in fall/winter 2020! In addition to the cube and stump attractors, an aquatic plant nursery was developed by the USACE, and 1000s of plants produced and planted into Lake Shelbyville in 2017- 2019. These plantings are protected by wire-mesh “exclosures” which can be found in each of the major arms of the lake. Rip-rap is being ordered to develop some rock “reefs” for the near future. The LSFHA “adopt-a-cube” program has been very popular, with over $5,000 donated to name cubes after loved-ones and businesses. Results and activities can be followed on our Facebook page; Lake Shelbyville Fish Habitat Alliance. Check us out and give us a “LIKE!” Watch for future structure building events this coming year, as several are planned! Maps of habitat locations can be found on the Facebook page or the USACE web site by using “Lake Shelbyville Habitat Maps”.

Contact Information:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
217-774-3951
IDNR Fisheries Biologist, Jim Garavaglia
217-345-2420

There were 74 tournaments held on this waterbody in 2022.