fishing Lake Shabbona By: Katrina J.E. Milton
SHABBONA – WHEN DANIEL MCGOVERN WANTS TO GET AWAY FROM THE STRESS OF HOMEWORK AND CLASSES AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, HE GETS IN THE CAR WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND PAIGE VALENTE, DRIVES TO SHABBONA LAKE STATE PARK AND GOES FISHING. “I like to just come out here and fish,” McGovern said. “It’s a nice escape from school, and it’s a nice place to relax. Sometimes I rent a boat and go out on the water. You have everything you need here, even a cafe and bait shop.” Shabbona Lake State Park, the lake features more than 12 species of fish, including bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, rock bass, crappie, bullhead, channel catfish, walleye, perch and muskellunge, also called muskie. The park has been nicknamed the “Muskie Capitol of Illinois” and “Illinois’ Best Fishing Lake.” Four state muskie records and two state hybrid crappie records have been set at the lake. The largest fish ever caught there was a 49.125-inch, 37.81-pound muskie, reeled in by Chris Kim of Elk Grove Village on April 1, 1997. To teach future generations how to fish, the Shabbona Lake Young Angler’s Fishing League was established 23 years ago. The league is free and open to children and teens ages 3 to 17. The league meets for six weeks over the months of July and August, teaching the youth how to fish in different locations in the park. Multiple fishing opens and derbies and Illinois High School Association’s student/ coach fishing tournaments are also held at the lake. Duane Landmeier of Hinckley, a member of the Illinois Fishing Hall of
40 | DeKalb County Resource Guide
2018-2019
