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Construction of Lake Shelbyville Bridge replacing old West Okaw River Viaduct.jpg
Engineering News-Record · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Lakes → Illinois → Lake Shelbyville

Lake Shelbyville

Illinois · Reservoir impounded 1970 · near Shelbyville

11,100 acres 60 ft deep 4 ft clarity Water D
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5.1SCORE
Survey summary · Illinois
11,100
Surface acres
60 ft
Max depth
250 mi
Shoreline
4 ft
Typical clarity
599 ft
Elevation
Construction of Lake Shelbyville Bridge replacing old West Okaw River Viaduct.jpg Final environmental statement- Lake Shelbyville, Illinois - USACE-p16021coll7-17900.pdf Lake Shelbyville viewed from Wolf Creek State Park - October 2025.jpg

Photographs of Lake Shelbyville via Wikimedia Commons. Credit and licence on each image — hover to view, click through to the source.

Lake Shelbyville covers 11,100 acres in Illinois and drops to 60 feet at its deepest point. It is a reservoir impounded in 1970 and managed by USACE. Clarity is limited, which is typical of productive fisheries but worth seeing in person if you are swimming daily. Short-term rental posture: County rules. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

  • Boating
  • Fishing

Watch outs

  • Nutrient-rich water; seasonal algae blooms are possible
  • USACE shoreline permitting — private dock approval is not guaranteed

Score breakdown

WATER RECREATION VALUE ACCESS INVESTMENT
Water 3.9
Recreation 5.5
Value 3.5
Access 6.1
Investment 7.1

Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.

Water quality grade
Water A
ExcellentClear, low-nutrient water. Typically oligotrophic with high clarity and little seasonal algae.
Water B
GoodHealthy water with moderate clarity. Some seasonal variation, no persistent problems.
Water C
FairProductive water — good fishing, reduced clarity. Algae possible in late summer.
Water D
PoorNutrient-rich or heavily drawn down. Swimmable conditions vary; check before you rely on them.

Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.

Overall score, 1–10
8.0+
ExceptionalStrong on every axis we measure.
7.0–7.9
StrongClearly above average, usually with one standout axis.
6.0–6.9
SolidA good lake with a trade-off worth understanding.
5.0–5.9
MixedReal strengths and real compromises.
Under 5
CompromisedSomething material — volatility, water quality, or access.

Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.

Fishery

Largemouth bassWalleyeCrappieMuskie

On the water

BoatingFishingCamping
No USGS gauge on this lake. Water level and clarity figures below come from published lake management data rather than a live sensor.

What the drawdown looks like

Full pool vs winter low · Lake Shelbyville
6 ft FULL POOL WINTER LOW

The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 6 ft figure is from published operations for this lake.

Where it is

True shoreline from USGS NHD 41 km²

The outline is this lake's actual boundary from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset, not an approximation — 599 boundary points. Basemap is USGS topographic with contours and hydrography. Switch layers at the top right.

Depth profile

SURFACE 60 ft max avg 19 ft

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 60 ft, average 19 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityManaged Typical drawdown6 ft Drawdown seasonWinter Trophic stateEutrophic Typical clarity4 ft Water quality gradeD Elevation599 ft Managing authorityUSACE

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authorityUSACE St. Louis District Wake / speed rulesNo-wake in coves
A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with USACE St. Louis District that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

County rules

Generally permitted, but rules change. Confirm the specific municipality and any HOA covenant.
Model rental income →
Modeled estimates. Market figures are derived from lake attributes and regional patterns, not from MLS data. Treat them as a starting point, not a comp.
$410,000
Median waterfront
$6,619
Per shoreline foot
+4.5%
Year over year
304
Est. inventory
65
Avg days on market
$841
Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy44% Booked nights / yr116 Gross revenue$103,931 Net operating income$53,767 Yield on median price13.11%
Open the full model →

What a median-priced home on Lake Shelbyville actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.

$3,600
All-in per month
$95,090
Cash to close + setup
$11,250
Beyond P&I, tax, insurance
Where the annual cost goes
$43,200 PER YEAR
Principal & interest $25,923 (62%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $4,510 (11%) Property taxes $4,305 (10%) Utilities $2,700 (6%) Hazard insurance $1,722 (4%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (2%) Dock maintenance $900 (2%) Winterization / seasonal close $750 (2%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest$25,923
Property taxes$4,305
Hazard insurance$1,722
Flood insurance$650
Utilities$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)$4,510
Septic service$520
Well & water testing$260
Dock maintenance$900
Winterization / seasonal close$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve$960
Total$43,200
Model your own numbers →

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