Shabbona Lake
DeKalb County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shabbona Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 49 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Shabbona Lake in DeKalb County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.3 µg/L.
Shabbona Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in DeKalb County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 49 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2022-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Shabbona Lake has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Shabbona Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Shabbona Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shabbona Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shabbona Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Shabbona Lake
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Shabbona Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.3 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 28µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Shabbona Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Shabbona Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 481 field readings (2012–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shabbona Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~49 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Illinois EPA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Illinois has not published bathymetry for Shabbona Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
19 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
284 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
837 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Shabbona LakePublic
- Shabbona LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Shabbona Lake
- Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area Campground1.0 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Shabbona Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shabbona Lake in DeKalb County, Illinois — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Shabbona Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Shabbona Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Shabbona Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Shabbona Lake Dam (completed 1974), built primarily for other on the INDIAN CREEK; earth-type dam, 56 ft tall and 2,570 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 4,275 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,387 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
All listed purposes: Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL01202 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Shabbona Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Other.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_VTU · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in DeKalb County
Frequently asked questions about Shabbona Lake
Where is Shabbona Lake?
- Shabbona Lake is a lake in DeKalb County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shabbona Lake?
- Shabbona Lake in DeKalb County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.3 µg/L.
Is Shabbona Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shabbona Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Shabbona Lake?
- Shabbona Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October, from 481 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Shabbona Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Shabbona Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 49 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Shabbona Lake?
- Shabbona Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Shabbona Lake, Shabbona Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Shabbona Lake?
- Shabbona Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Illinois's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Shabbona Lake?
- Shabbona Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
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Where this data comes from
45 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX45 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles