By:
Submission
Opossum Creek Recreation Area has a quiet campground that sits on the western shore of Lake Shelbyville in the heart of central Illinois.
The lake and surrounding land offer outdoor activities for people of all ages, including fishing, swimming, picnicking and simply relaxing.
Lake Shelbyville offers a multitude of fishing opportunities for catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, muskie, walleye, white bass and bluegill.
Opossum Creek provides a fishing pond for children age 12 and under with an accessible fishing dock. There are also several other ponds with farmed fish available around the lake.
Hunting areas located within a short drive offer numerous game species, including quail, rabbit, pheasant, deer, dove, turkey, waterfowl and woodcock.
Most of the campsites have electricity and accommodate both RVs and tents, though there are several tent-only non-electric sites as well.
Flush toilets, showers, a playground and dump station help create a comfortable camping environment.
Opossum Creek overlooks the lake shore and provides plenty of shade. Oak and hickory are the lake region's dominant tree species.
Foliage turns a variety of red, orange, purple and yellow each fall, while prairie flowers dot the landscape in spring and summer.
Numerous species of songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl and raptors inhabit the lake area, as do mammals such as cottontail rabbit, white-tail deer, gray and fox squirrel, muskrat and mink.
Wolf Creek State Park, Woods Lake Waterfowl Refuge and Okaw Bluff Wetlands Complex are popular locations for wildlife watching, birding and hunting near Lake Shelbyville.
From Shelbyville, Illinois, take State Route 128 north for 3.5 miles. Turn right onto County Road 1650 N. Continue nearly a mile to County Road 1880 E. Turn right and travel 0.5 mile to County Road 1600 N. Turn right again and drive one mile into the Opossum Creek facility.
Love visiting Opossum Creek. We kayak and paddleboard there. Use the high water ramp area to get into the water!
We have camped @ Opossum Creek Recreational Area In the past. This time we took four of our youngest grandchildren, ages 3-8. We were able to secure the campsite directly across from the playground. We were able to wear them out. That's good since they wore us out as well. We also went to the Lakeshore close by and went to the beach at Dam West one day. The facilities met All of our needs. We will go back.
A great experience of outdoor critters, and swimming, and fishing. I Love the public bathroom centered around the campsite up the road. Ppl were friendly and the green trees were beautiful with the sunlight peering through. Book early!! Fills up fast
