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Island in the Prairie
This DeKalb County recreation area
STORY BY GARY THOMAS The saying goes: "You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear." Maybe not. But you can make a beautiful recreation area out of farm ground. Just ask Sheldon Rueff. As a farmer living near the town of Shabbona in the early 1970s, he got the contract to disk and plow some farmland the state had purchased with the intent of building a recreation area. "This was pretty much wide-open acreage when it was bought," Rueff said. "There were a few small sections of forested land and a creek running down the middle, but that was it. Back then you would have never believed they could have made it into the beautiful park it is today." And beautiful it is. That farmland was developed into Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area in DeKalb County—an island of trees that rise up from the rolling farmland surrounding the park. Rueff has watched the site develop and mature. Shortly after the site opened, he gave up farming and went to work there as a site technician. He was appointed site superintendent in 1995. The beauty of the rolling landscape and Big Indian Creek are the two things that probably attracted the first settlers, Native Americans, to this area hundreds of years ago. Europeans began settling there in the 1840s. The site is named for
Thousands of Illinoisans enjoy the excellent angling
Shabbona, a chief of the Potawatomi tribe, who lived near the site and who was a friend to the early settlers. While the chief's grave is at Morris, his wife and several of his children are buried near the park. You shouldn't be lonely if you visit Shabbona, especially if your visit is during the warm months. It can be a busy place. During an average year, more than 400,000 visitors enjoy the park. "That's to be expected when you realize there are about 7 million people living within 60 miles of the park," Rueff said. "Shabbona is very popular with people living in Chicago and the suburbs. We're just a 1 1/2-hour drive from the loop, and within an hour of Rockford. That makes us a convenient get-away from the hustle and bustle of the city." But don't let all those visitors deter you from visiting this beautiful site. Shabbona is a big park with more than 1,550 acres, and there are plenty of activities to keep you busy. The site was designed for recreation—fishing, camping, picnicking and other outdoor fun. You can enjoy a peaceful walk on one of the trails, play horseshoes or just relax in a easy chair alongside the beautiful lake. The major attraction is Shabbona Lake, a 318-acre body of water that was designed specifically with fishing in mind. Before the lake was filled, its shoreline was modified, and four earthen piers jutting out some 200 feet were added for shoreline anglers. An accessible fishing pier for disabled anglers also was built, and biologists placed numerous fish congregators along the bank to enhance shore fishing. Since then, other fish attractors have been added almost yearly. "Because of the lake's unique design, the fishing is good from boat or shore," Rueff said. "Both are popular, and both can be very productive. Acre for acre, our fisheries biologist says our lake is probably the hardest fished of any state-managed lake in Illinois. But the lake holds up well despite all the pressure. There are good populations, but the fish can be hard to catch because there is a lot of forage. When you do catch one though, you're likely to have a good one. In fact, the state record muskie was taken from the lake in 1997."
The three rearing ponds in the park where fisheries biologists raise thousands of walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass for release into the lake are part of the reason the fishing remains so good. The lake has good populations of nice-sized largemouth bass, though they are not necessarily easy to catch. Smallmouth and hybrid striped bass were introduced just a few years ago, and the lakes has nice growing populations of both species. There also are excellent populations of crappie and sunfish (bluegill and redear), plus a good channel cat and bullhead population. Walleye are large, but hard to catch, and the muskie population continues to grow. There are also rock bass and yellow perch.
Because 7 million people live within 60 miles of the site,
In addition to three earthen piers jutting out into the lake, Shabbona features an accessible fishing pier that is popular with disabled visitors. Numerous species of both fauna and flora are to be found at this popular northern Illinois recreation area. The lake has two boat launching areas, plus visitors can rent boats with or without motors at the concession. There is a 10 h.p. limit on the lake, and there is a no wake area in the upper 18 acres of the lake where only electric motors or rowing is permitted.
The site also has a half-dozen or so ponds, a beautiful wetland area and a nice stretch of Big Indian Creek. Visitors will enjoy the spectacular beauty of the more than 300 acres of restored prairie found within the park. Campers will find 150 Class A (electricity, sanitary dump, shower facility) sites, including pads designed for disabled campers. Forty-four of the camp sites can be reserved. Rueff said the majority of the sites are booked for most weekends from spring through fall, and that the campground usually fills each Friday. "We also have a rustic cabin available for rent that is built alongside the lake," Rueff said. "This is a great way to give camping a try. It's already booked for most weekends this year, as well as a lot of the weekdays." A Youth Group camping area is usable, but still under development. Groups should call the park for more information. Shabbona has three major day-use areas that include picnic tables, water and restroom facilities built along the western shoreline of the lake. There also are large shelter facilities that can be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. The kids will enjoy the park's three playgrounds, and there are horseshoe pits to entertain the adults. There are 4 1/2 miles of hiking trails through wooded areas at Shabbona. Maps are available at the park office. Visitors will especially enjoy the "Touch the Earth" trail, where they can walk a self-guided trail using an educational cassette tape and special brochure. The trail is accessible to disabled visitors. Tapes and brochures are available at the park office. Shabbona was one of DNR's pilot sites for accessibility. All the facilities—parking, picnic shelters, water fountains, rest rooms, fishing areas piers and telephones—were designed to be accessible. The site's new concession, complete with a full-service restaurant, is open seven days a week during the summer months. In addition to getting a meal, you can rent a boat and motor, plus purchase ice and soft drinks, bait and tackle, and
The park features a rustic lakeside cabin that is available for rent. But get your reservation in quickly if you want to enjoy this popular retreat.
other miscellaneous items for camping or picnicking. There also is a camp store located near the campground. Winter activities at the park include ice fishing, ice skating, sledding, cross country skiing and snowmobiling—all of which are dependent on ice and snow, of course. Cross country skiers use the 4 1/2 miles of hiking trails, while snowmobilers can enjoy a 7-mile loop around the lake. The snowmobiling trail is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily after Jan.1 each winter. Snowmobilers are required to register at the park upon arrival. The park also allows dove hunting in late summer and archery deer hunting during the fall and winter months. There is a good population of turkeys at Shabbona, but the site isn't open for hunting at this time. There also are year-round populations of woodducks and Canada geese. A number of other species of waterfowl can be found using the site's 15-acre nesting area for migratory birds. Other species of wildlife visitors likely will see are raccoons, squirrels, fox and rabbits. If golf is your thing, there is a privately owned nine-hole course adjoining the park that is open to the public. Visitors might also want to explore the 80-acre Chief Shabbona Forest Preserve, which is owned by DeKalb County and next to the park. With the wooded areas, marshes and lakes looking so natural in the rolling prairie, vistors will find it hard to believe that this site was farmland just 30 years ago. And while this recreation area can be a busy place during some parts of the year, Shabbona Lake definitely is a site worth exploring. While fishing seems to be the number-one pursuit of most boaters, other users enjoy paddling or just cruising around to admire the beautiful scenery.
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