East Central Illinois boating

Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
My wife and I are contemplating moving to the Champaign/Urbana area of Illinois. Are there any good lakes or rivers that are good for cruisers in that area. Chi town is a 2 hour ride and seems a bit far to have the boat moored there and use it every weekend. Currently in Pittsburgh we spend every weekend on the boat, which gives us a lot of boating time. I would like to be able to do the same, but I can't seem to locate any place with a similar atmosphere in that area.
2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes"
Go Steelers!!!

Comments

  • randy56randy56 Member Posts: 4,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
    .
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    Boat Name : 

  • jme097jme097 Member Posts: 1,224 ✭✭✭
    Why the move? 
    Boat Name: Knot A Worry
    2007 280 Rinker Express 6.2L B3
  • Glassguy54Glassguy54 Member Posts: 588 ✭✭✭
    There are not many large bodies of water near Champaign/Urbana. Lake Shelbyville is only 11,000 acres, about the same size as Lake Red Rock in Iowa, "Iowa's Largest Man Made Reservoir". We have been there (Red Rock) and it gets boring REAL fast! 
    Shelbyville's water clarity seem ok, 3-6ft. It would be about 3 hrs over to the Mississippi from Champaign. We take our 246 up to Dubuque or Guttenberg about every weekend, but it is just over an hour's drive for us. There is a great web site for lake info for many midwest, southern and eastern states at Lake Browser. Lists all the major lakes, stats about acres, water clarity, depth, fish species, marinas, etc. I refer to it frequently to plan our annual long haul to some of the beautiful lakes that we are not fortunate enough to have in Iowa, Table Rock Lake in Southern Missouri being the most recent, 3 weeks ago. Fantastic Lake! 43,100 acres, 6-10 ft clarity.
  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    jme097 said:
    Why the move? 
    My wife is from that area and we don't have much family around Pittsburgh to help with watching my 18 month old child. It is in the discussion stage and nothing has been set in stone.
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes"
    Go Steelers!!!
  • randy56randy56 Member Posts: 4,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If you move to the mid west, you will have to ditch the Steelers, and become a Colts fan, LOL caught flying a steelers flag on your boat would'nt be good. :)
    Boat Name : 

  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    randy56 said:
    If you move to the mid west, you will have to ditch the Steelers, and become a Colts fan, LOL caught flying a steelers flag on your boat would'nt be good. :)
    I am a season ticket holder and I bleed black and gold. I will be at the Turkey Day game sporting my colors. I already told the wife that I plan on going to 4 to 5 of the Steelers home games. It's a long **** road trip, but well worth it.
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes"
    Go Steelers!!!
  • ivy282ivy282 Member Posts: 4
    Clinton Lake is a good lake for Illinois, it is horseshoe in shape so always a place to get out of the wind. Plus it is warmed by a nuclear plant. That gives you a month or more of boating weather. I have swam in it for years and still have 3 nipples. But overall Illinois doesn’t have any good lakes.
  • StodgeStodge Member Posts: 2,738 ✭✭✭✭
    We have 1 or 2 nice lakes here in Michigan. Some folks say they're Great in fact.

    2002 FV 342 on Lake St. Clair - Past Commodore SHC - Vessel Examiner USCGAUX

  • rinker270nbrinker270nb Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭
    Look up the exodus numbers of Illinois as you consider a move.  Then look up the drop in University attendance, it's dropped to the point where state colleges will be closing soon.  Home values are not increasing and property taxes constantly rise.  It's a sensible decision to be near family but look before you leap.  You will see Uhauls leaving Illinois as you are entering.  It's a strange feeling I imagine.
  • skennellyskennelly Member Posts: 2,196 ✭✭✭✭
    @rinker270nb - agreed!  I really can't imagine anyone moving to Illinois.  I think we've been in the running as the worst state for quite some time
    2002 - 270FV Mag 350 B3
  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This is an old thread, so as of right now, I am staying in Pittsburgh. When I started this in 2016, we were considering the move. If we did make the move, I would slip my boat on the Little Calumet River. I could go thru one lock and be on Lake Michigan.
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes"
    Go Steelers!!!
  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Well, times have changed. I am moving to Illinois in March. I am now looking for options to slip my boat. I am on a wait list for Clinton Lake. I am trying to talk to admiral into going north, but time will tell. There is a big marina in Hammond, IN along the lake, or the Calumet River would be another option. Hopefully I can get in somewhere. It will be a different boating experience for sure.
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes"
    Go Steelers!!!
  • skennellyskennelly Member Posts: 2,196 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2021
    Hammond is a nice marina...with a casino on premise.  Not far from the city.  Lots of people from chicago have migrated to Hammond because prices are cheaper.  Good luck with the move.
    2002 - 270FV Mag 350 B3
  • randy56randy56 Member Posts: 4,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Congratulations Cable, I looked at Clinton on google maps looks nice.
    Boat Name : 

  • Dream_InnDream_Inn Member, Moderator Posts: 7,550 mod
    Congrats Greg!  I'm sure you'll find some decent boating around that area.  Good luck and as always, stay in touch!

    Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express

  • TonyG13TonyG13 Member Posts: 1,282 ✭✭✭✭
    Marina Shores at Dune Harbor in Portage, IN might be a nice option. Would be about a 2-hour drive from Urbana-Champaign.
  • captkevincaptkevin Member Posts: 199 ✭✭
    We boat on Shelbyville &  have for a long time. We also make a couple trips a year to other lakes further away - Lake of the Ozarks, Bull Shoals & Lake Norfork.

    You might what to try out both Clinton & Shelbyville before committing to one. We have a house in Sullivan & spend the majority of our time on Shelbyville. Had a camper at Clinton for a couple of years & had fun but it is pretty small but was over a hour closer to our house. In the end we went back to Shelbyville & never looked back.

    Feel free to ask any questions.
    2004 232
    2021 Yamaha Fx svho
  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Looking at the marina in Hammond, IN. According to GoogleMaps, it is 1 hour 45 minutes to the marina from our house. I like the idea of being out on the lake. I don't like the idea of being that far from the boat. I am on a waiting list at Clinton and Shelbyville. Now I need to convince the admiral where to slip the boat at. I am leaning on a dock that I can get out on to Lake Michigan.
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes"
    Go Steelers!!!
  • TonyG13TonyG13 Member Posts: 1,282 ✭✭✭✭
    And whatever money you don't spend on the boat you can lose at their casino!  :D
  • FireflyFirefly Member Posts: 4
    Hammond is a great marina, this will be our second year there after being up in Chicago for a few years before that. I love being on Lake Michigan, but a couple things to consider... our season is really slow to get started. The lake is big and cold, and in spring and early summer you might be pushing 90 degrees down south and we might have a nasty 65 degree wind off the lake. The water also takes a really long time to warm up.. probably won't get into the 70s until July.

    However, there's a few decent beaches near Hammond, and downtown Chicago is only about 30-45 minutes by boat with a few anchoring spots. Going down the Chicago river is a fantastic trip too. No shortage of things to do up here, hopefully you'll be able to spend a few days at a time and not have to drive back the same day. 
  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    @Firefly thanks for the information. We are used to captive boating, meaning and long trips require going through a lock. We have 16 miles in one pool here, but the others are shorter, some longer. Going to the lake will be a different experience. Currently we spend every weekend on the boat, Friday afternoon to Sunday evening. We would follow the same pattern there. If we end up at a lake down state, we will probably be day boaters. 
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes"
    Go Steelers!!!
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