Recreation on the
Kishwaukee River By: Aimee Barrows
WHILE THE KISHWAUKEE RIVER MIGHT NOT BE AS BIG OR WELL-KNOWN AS THE ROCK RIVER OR FOX RIVER, THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PADDLEBOARDING, KAYAKING, CANOEING AND FISHING FOR FOLKS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. The “Kish” as it’s often referred to, begins on the south end near Shabbona and runs north through DeKalb, Sycamore and Genoa before branching off north toward Woodstock, and west toward Cherry Valley, eventually ending at the Rock River. The river bends and twists, and has several routes that folks can take while on their adventure. It flows through several forest preserves and nature parks that provide gorgeous, untouched scenery with an abundance of wildlife. Christine Lagattolla, assistant director of outdoor recreation at Northern Illinois University, has hosted several expeditions along the Kish. She said that the best parts of the river are toward the north branch. She said that the water tends to be deeper, has fewer obstructions and has the most beautiful scenery. “It’s a unique river, because it runs north and it’s not dammed. It’s a wild river and changes depths frequently because it bends so much,” she said. “The water levels are lower in DeKalb County but get more consistent near Rockford. There are some downed trees and obstacles along the river in DeKalb.”
44 | DeKalb County Resource Guide
2018-2019
