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Spillway is a day use area on the shore of the Kaskaskia River just below the Lake Shelbyville dam.
Situated in the heart of central Illinois, the river, lake and surrounding land offer outdoor activities for people of all ages, including fishing, picnicking and simply relaxing by the water.
This facility is mostly open with some wooded areas. Oak and hickory are the 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.
Spillway is a fun place to relax along the river. It has plenty of open space and a playground for children.
Lake Shelbyville and the Kaskaskia River also offer a multitude of fishing opportunities for catfish, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, muskie, walleye, white bass and bluegill. For those without boats, there are also several 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.
This facility has a reservable picnic shelter that can accommodate 50 people. Six picnic tables, a playground, volleyball courts, fish cleaning station, flush toilets and spigots for drinking water are provided.
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.
Spillway is located at Lake Shelbyville dam, just east of the City of Shelbyville, Illinois. From Shelbyville, take State Route 16 east. Turn left (north) just after the dam into the day use area.
The spillway is one of our new favorite locations! Don't specifically listen to the reviewers that are complaining about the level of water on the specific day that they went because it changes. It had actually been flooded for a while up until a couple of weeks before we went. Thankfully, because of that, it was manageable to hike up through the water since the levels decreased. Otherwise, you have to hike completely around the spillway, which can be difficult. Main tip, wear anti-slip shoes as there are some pretty slick places. Overall, we absolutely loved it.
If there's been any rain it's often a ragi g waterfall this time of year. When it's not it's a great place to pick your way across the creek n check out the rocky path
I wanted to see a waterfall on my first trip to southern Illinois. We decided to check this one out since it seemed easy to get to and likely to have water. It is pretty easy to drive there and the falls are right by the parking lot. This is a series of falls that are right below a spillway of a dam that creates Kincaid Lake. Water runs over the top of the dam and down a series of rock drops into a pond at the bottom. This is a series of falls. When we were there, the volume of water was not large but there was definitely a soothing waterfall sound. You can climb up from the bottom to the top. It is sort of like going up stairs. If you like getting up close to a waterfall, this is the place for you.
Been coming here my whole life and it's beautiful. The waterfalls make great photos. Getting to them isn't easy though. Slick rocks and some climbing will be a must. Not a place for small children unless you have plenty of help
