Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area

Reserve Your Campsite

The Shabbona Lake SRA campground has 150 Class A Premium campsites available, with 90 campsites available for advanced reservation through ExploreMoreIL™. Additionally, 60 campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. All sites have electricity, a picnic table, fire rings, and vehicle access. A sanitary dump station is available to all campers. One family is allowed per campsite, or four unrelated adults with up to two tents. Campers must be ready to camp upon arrival. Alcohol is prohibited. For further information, call 815-824-2106 during the week or the campground check station at 815-824-2565 on weekends.

Camp Cabin

Two rent-a-camp cabins are available at the park from May 1 to October 31 annually with a reservation. The rustic cabins have two rooms and will accommodate a maximum of six people. They are located on the shore of Shabbona Lake. No pets are allowed in the cabins with the exception of service animals.

Hiking

Just over 8 miles of scenic hiking and cross-country skiing trails weave through the wooded areas of the park. A trail brochure is available at the office.

Shabbona Lake SP Trail Information and Map.pdf

Fishing and Boating

Boat and shore fishing are both popular and productive at Shabbona Lake. Shabbona Lake was declared the "Muskie Capitol of Illinois" and one of "Illinois' best fishing lakes" by the Illinois General Assembly in 2011. Shabbona Lake has produced 6 state record fish, including 4 muskies and 2 hybrid crappies.

The lake is stocked with largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, rock bass, black and white crappie, black and brown bullhead, channel catfish, walleye, muskie, and perch. Contact the park office for fish catch and size limits.

Lake access is available from a double-lane launching ramp in the day-use area and a single-lane ramp in the campground. The lake is no-wake for all motors. Also, an 18-acre upper fishing area is a no-wake zone where only electric trolling motors or rowing is permitted. For further details, including information on special sailing regulations, contact the park office.

Swimming and/or wading is prohibited at Shabbona Lake. This regulation is strictly enforced.

​Accessibility at Shabbona Lake:

• Parking - Shabbona Grove has three accessible parking spaces with a 20' distance to the asphalt sidewalk. Somonauk Point has two accessible parking spaces and a 20' distance to the asphalt sidewalk. The main parking lot has seven accessible spaces and a 30' distance to the asphalt sidewalk.
• Trails - The Touch the Earth Trail is an 814' crushed limestone trail that is wheelchair accessible.
• Fishing - There is an ADA fishing pier with a partial concrete/asphalt pathway. There is approximately 1000' distance from the parking lot.
• Boat Dock - There is an ADA boat dock with a composite surface. It is 8' wide and 95' long.
• Restrooms - The shower building in the campground has accessible restrooms.
• Camping - There are four accessible campsites, 9, 30, 59, and 60, in Teal Bay. Two sites in Canvasback Cove, numbers 118 and 150, and there are two in Merganser Circle, sites 69 and 100.
• Service animals are welcome at the park, and there are water hydrants available.

Shabbona Lake SP Camping Rules and Map.pdf

Shabbona Lake SP Fishing Regulations.pdf