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10,235-acre lake in Shelby County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 65 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 11,217 acres of water rimmed by 190.2 miles of bank, with 4 islands in the mix. An index of 12.8 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 49% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Call it 17 mi long by 9.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Shelby County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Paradise, 14 mi southeast of here.
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Spring channel catfish concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Creek inflow (7 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (29 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Break off the point (29 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (55 ft) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (29 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 29 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Creek inflow (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (29 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (29 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (55 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: freshwater drum in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 45 ft for winter. The spot to know is Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for freshwater drum in spring. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Creek inflow (7 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (29 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (29 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (55 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Lake Shelbyville also holds largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), muskellunge (8 to 25 ft in summer), sauger (10 to 30 ft in summer), saugeye (8 to 22 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), striped bass (25 to 60 ft in summer), walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 24 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 55 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Shelbyville specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Lake Shelbyville is about 65 ft (20 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, muskellunge, sauger, saugeye, smallmouth bass, striped bass, walleye, white bass on Lake Shelbyville.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For bluegill, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Lake Shelbyville is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Paradise 14 mi · Lake Mattoon 15 mi · Sara Lake 26 mi · Lake Decatur 27 mi · Charleston Lake 28 mi · Taylorville Lake 32 mi · Embarras River 32 mi · Lake Altamont 32 mi · Walnut Point Lake 36 mi · Sangchris Lake 44 mi · Sam Parr Lake 44 mi · Newton Lake 45 mi
See how Lake Shelbyville stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best smallmouth bass lakes in Illinois · best walleye lakes in Illinois · best white bass lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.