Lake Decatur Public Information

Lake Decatur Fees

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Row Boats, Canoes, Kayaks and other craft that is propelled by muscle power:	$15.00
Sail Boats:	$25.00
Motor Boats:      1 - 50 Horsepower      51 - 100 Horsepower      101 - 150 Horsepower      151 - 200 Horsepower      Over 200 Horsepower	$30.00 $36.00 $42.00 $48.00 $54.00
Dealers: (Not to exceed 4 units)	$100.00
24 Hour Permit: (Any boat)	$5.00

Docks:	Shoreline Zone	Footage $	Boat Space $
	1	$6.25	$25.00 (above 1)
	2	$5.00	$18.75 (above 1)
	3	none	$25 each

Waterfowl Hunting Blinds:

$25.00

Lake Decatur Hydorgraphic (Depth) Map

Lake Decatur Recreation Map

Boat Safety Inspection Checklist

Boat Club List

Private Buoy Regulations

Swimming Regulations

Record Fish Rules & Application

Download the Record Fish Application

The following rules apply to all applications submitted for Lake Decatur Record Fish consideration:

1. Fish must be legally caught by pole and line only. Trotlines, netting, seines, spearing, snagging, jugs and bank poles are ineligible harvest methods.
2. Fish legally caught within the following boundaries of Lake Decatur will be eligible for consideration:
   1. Big Creek downstream of Illinois Route 121.
   2. Finley Creek downstream of Baltimore Road.
   3. Sand Creek downstream of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad bridge.
   4. Sangamon River downstream of County Road 25 (Oakley Blacktop) bridge and upstream of the old City Dam.
   5. All other tributaries of Lake Decatur within the corporate limits of the City of Decatur.
3. Applications must be submitted within 14 days of catch to the Lake Decatur Record Fish Committee on official Lake Decatur Record Fish Applications with all information provided by the applicant. All applications and other entry materials will become the property of the Committee. Entries may be submitted at any of the following locations:
   • City of Decatur Lake Management Office, Nelson Park
   • Herald & Review Newspaper, Sports Department, 601 E. William Street
   • Mac's Tackle Box, 815 S. 22nd Street
   • Mike's Tackle World, 2283 E. Geddes Avenue
4. The fish must be weighed:
   1. On a current State of Illinois certified scale (one used for trade).
   2. The weight witnessed by at least 2 persons not related to the applicant.
   3. A dated weight receipt submitted if possible.

   CLEAN FISH IN PLASTIC BAGS MAY BE WEIGHED AT:

   • Eastside Market, 1467 E. William
   • Kroger Co., 1401 W. King
   • Kroger Co., 3070 N. Water
   • Kroger Co., 1818 S. Airport Plaza
   • Lakeview Market, 3810 E. William
   • Peter's Haus of Meat, 3777 N. Woodford
5. A clear photograph must be submitted with the following:
   1. Complete lateral (side) profile of the fish.
   2. Measurement scale in the photograph.
6. A record may be established when the total weight in pounds and ounces exceeds the weight of the previous record fish.
7. Recognition of a new Lake Decatur record fish requires the approval of at least three of the five Lake Decatur Record Fish Committee Members.
8. Members of the Lake Decatur Record Fish Committee are:
   
   Keith Alexander, City of Decatur Lake Management Division
   Mike Anderson, Herald & Review Sports Editor
   David Holmes, avid Lake Decatur fisherman
   Larry McIntyre, Mac's Tackle Box
   Mike Lowe, Mike's Tackle World
   
   
9. The following are eligible for Lake Decatur Record Fish consideration:

Lake Decatur Record Fish

Species	Weight	Record Holder	Date
Bigmouth Buffalo	30 lb. 4 oz.	Rick Milford	7-9-1997
Black Buffalo	17 lb. 8 oz.	John Clark	6-18-1996
Black Bullhead	2 lb. min.	Open
Black Crappie	1 lb. 4 oz.	James Lawson	10-4-2002
Blue Catfish	25 lb. 15 oz.	Lori Wilson	4-22-2000
Bluegill	1 lb. 1 oz.	Doug Rock / Shane Morrison	6-4-1993
Brown Bullhead	1 lb. min.	Open
Carp	12.15 lb.	Robert Hutton	4-19-1997
Channel Catfish	19 lb. 5 oz.	Lloyd Beckmeier	8-1-1989
Flathead Catfish	51 lb. 2 oz.	Keith Warnhoff	7-13-2002
Freshwater Drum	23 lb. 12 oz.	Ron Davis	7-6-1985
Green Sunfish	1 lb. min.	Open
Hybrid Crappie	1 lb. 4 oz.	Bruce Stephens	5-2-1992
Hybrid Striped Bass	11.05 lb.	James Gilbert	7-11-1996
Hybrid Sunfish	1 lb. min.	Open
Largemouth Bass	6 lb. 9.6 oz.	Kevin Boettger	9-26-1993
Long Nose Gar	11.04 lb.	Gordon Gebhart	6-8-1998
Northern Pike	4.01 lb.	Robert Gilbert, Sr.	7-9-1996
Other Sunfish	1 lb. min.	Open
Redear Sunfish	1 lb. min.	Open
Rock Bass	1 lb. min.	Open
Smallmouth Bass	3 lb. 10 oz.	David Kubow	6-26-1987
Smallmouth Buffalo	10 lb. min.	Open
Striped Bass	10.15 lb.	Barry Rohman	8-30-1996
Walleye	8.52 lb.	Darrell Perry	5-9-1998
Warmouth	1 lb. min.	Open
White Bass	2 lb. 15 oz.	Paul Karas	11-5-1996
White Crappie	3 lb. 4 oz.	Richard Wolverton	4-22-1989
Yellow Bullhead	2 lb. min.	Open