Lake Shelbyville is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

located in

Shelby County, Illinois Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 20,990. Its county seat is Shelbyville. History Shelby County was formed in 1827 out of Fayette County. It was named in hon ...

and

Moultrie County, Illinois Moultrie County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, its population was 14,526. Its county seat is Sullivan. The name is pronounced as in "mole tree", unlike the pronunciation of its namesake, t ...

created by

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

ming the

Kaskaskia River The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 in central and southern Illinois in the Un ...

Shelbyville, Illinois Shelbyville is a city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Illinois, Shelby County, Illinois, United States, along the Kaskaskia River. As of the 2020 census, the population was at 4,674. HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, located in town, is the co ...

. The lake's normal surface pool is at an elevation of . The area that surrounds the lake is the Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area. The lake is managed by the

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

, and the wildlife is managed by the

Illinois Department of Natural Resources The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is the code department of the Illinois state government that operates the state parks and state recreation areas, enforces the fishing and game laws of Illinois, regulates Illinois coal mines, ...

. $57 million was appropriated for the dam and lake project.

Groundbreaking Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are o ...

on the dam occurred May 4, 1963. Filling of the reservoir began August 1, 1970. The lake was officially dedicated September 12, 1970. The dam is long and tall with normal pool height below the to

Bordering the lake are two

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

Wolf Creek State Park Wolf Creek State Park is an Illinois state park on in Shelby County, Illinois, United States. 2009 reopening Wolf Creek State Park is located on the east side of Lake Shelbyville. It has 304 Class A campsites with restrooms and showers, elec ...

and Eagle Creek State Park; and five federal campgrounds including Coon Creek, Opossum Creek, Lithia Springs, Lone Point, and Forest (Bo) Woods. There is also Wilburn Creek and Whitley Creek Recreational Area. Lake Shelbyville's shoreline is heavily wooded and subject to severe

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...

. Man-made beaches are located at Dam West (Shelbyville), Wilborn Creek, Wolf Creek State Park, and Sullivan Beach. Aside from the main channel of the lake are many

cove A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. Coves usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are o ...

s, suited for fishing. The lake is deeper than other major lakes in Illinois, so it is popular with boaters during the summer. There are full-service

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...

s, resorts and campgrounds on the lake. There are three full service marinas in business: Findlay, Lithia Springs, and Sullivan Marina. Findlay Marina is located north of Marker 5 just past the bridge on the west side of the lake. Sullivan Marina and Campground is located 4 miles south of Sullivan and includes hotel suites. Lithia Springs Marina is located on the southern end of Lake Shelbvyille. Lithia Marina is a full-service marina offering covered and open slip rental with free in-slip pump outs, Wi-Fi, 6 full service fuel pumps including pump out services and water fill ups, a ship store with bait, fishing licenses, boat rental, clothing, ice, sundries, beer and a full service shop with 2 full time certified mechanics including haul out and launch services. At one time there was a Subway restaurant here, but has been recently transformed into a new place called Nessie’s. Nessie’s has food and assorted alcoholic beverages along with outdoor entertainment in the summer time. Many people gather here to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July every year.

References

External links

*
Lake Shelbyville - U.S. Army Corps of EngineersShelbyville - State Fish and Wildlife AreaLake Shelbyville - Shelby County Tourism/Lake Shelbyville Area CVB
{{Authority control Protected areas of Moultrie County, Illinois Protected areas of Shelby County, Illinois Shelbyville Bodies of water of Moultrie County, Illinois Bodies of water of Shelby County, Illinois 1970 establishments in Illinois

See also

References

External links