Shabbona Lake State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 744 acres of Shabbona Lake State Park open to hunting in DeKalb County, next to Shabbona. Deer archery: open at the site and hunts for disabled hunters. Hunters took 413 deer in DeKalb County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: IDNR's IDNR hunting site data, read 2026-10. Harvest: IDNR county summaries, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
IDNR sites open to huntingOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landShabbona Lake State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 744 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | DeKalb County |
| Deer harvest unit | DeKalb County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Dove and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site and hunts for disabled hunters |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site and hunts for disabled hunters |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Shabbona (next to it), Lee (4 mi) and Waterman (4 mi) |
What is Shabbona Lake State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 10 hunting areas: D8, D7, D5, D6, D4, D3, D2, D1, WF Blind 6, WF Blind 2.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Shabbona Lake State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery), turkey (fall archery), dove and waterfowl (blinds) for Shabbona Lake State Park.
What are the rules on Shabbona Lake State Park?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site and hunts for disabled hunters, depending on the hunting area for deer archery and turkey fall archery.
Site-specific rules are in IDNR's Hunting Digest and the site's hunter fact sheet; IDNR's public hunting areas list has the site's permit details.
How many deer are taken around Shabbona Lake State Park?
Shabbona Lake State Park lies in DeKalb County. Hunters took 413 deer in DeKalb County in 2025-26, against 429 in 2024-25.
| County | Shabbona Lake State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | 744 | 413 | 429 | 389 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting site alone: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
How do you get to Shabbona Lake State Park?
Nearest towns: Shabbona (next to it), Lee (4 miles), Waterman (4 miles) and Paw Paw (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 30 and IL 23.
What other public land is near Shabbona Lake State Park?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Steward State Habitat Area: 79 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Shabbona Lake State Park
Counting Shabbona Lake State Park itself, 1,635 of the 32,321 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Other IDNR and state land | 810 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 744 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 80 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Shabbona Lake State Park?
In DeKalb County, next to Shabbona.
Can you deer hunt on Shabbona Lake State Park?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site and hunts for disabled hunters.
How much public land is around Shabbona Lake State Park?
1,635 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Shabbona Lake State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Steward State Habitat Area (6.3 miles).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Illinois are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Illinois included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: IDNR land records: sites and hunting areas (OMLP, Prairie Research Institute).
- Boundary and acres: IDNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records.
- Deer harvest: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Check IDNR's rules and posted signs before you go.