Lake Shelbyville – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville is hosting a celebration for the grand opening of Woods Lake on Saturday, June 4, 2016. Many free activities planned for the occasion including a ribbon cutting ceremony, kids fishing tournament, National Wild Turkey Federation archery & BB gun stations, canoe paddling lessons, boat rides, and many other activities.
Woods Lake is a 30 acre lake located 5 miles South of Sullivan, IL off Illinois Route 32. The lake is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the new handicap accessible fishing pier located on the West side of the lake. Colonel Anthony P. Mitchell, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District will be in attendance along with many partners involved in rehabilitating Woods Lake. A plaque will be unveiled in honor of all who have participated in the rehabilitation process. Partners include AMBUCS – Sullivan Chapter, Boy Scouts of America packs #51 and #142, Central Illinois Sportsmen for Outdoor Accessibility (CISOA), Chip’s Marina, C-R Farms and Tiling, Roy Yantis, Ed Wiessing, Fox Redi-Mix, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Lake Volunteers Association, Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, LLC, National Wild Turkey Federation, Shelbyville Electric Cooperative, Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development and VFW Post 6410.
A free fishing tournament for children under 13 will be held following the ribbon cutting ceremony. Registration for the tournament begins at 8:00 a.m. for the age 6 and under category and participants will fish from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. for the age 7-9 and 10-12 category and participants will fish from 10:00 a.m. to11:00 a.m. Prizes will be awarded at 11:15 a.m. for biggest fish, smallest fish, and most fish in each age division. All children will receive a certificate for participating. The tournament will be limited to bank & pier fishing only, no boats will be permitted. All participants are required to wear a life jacket. A limited number of life jackets will be available to those who cannot provide their own. A limited supply of fishing equipment including tackle and bait will also be provided while supplies last. In order to fish during the tournament, children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. After the fishing tournament, a complimentary hot dog roast will be held by the Lake Volunteers Association from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The rest of the day will be open for people of all ages to fish. Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Biologists will be on site to give helpful fishing tips.
Many activities are planned in addition to the kids fishing tournament. The Lake Shelbyville Strutters, a local National Wild Turkey Federation chapter, will be instructing proper use of BB guns and archery equipment from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Boy Scouts of America Troop 142 will provide canoe paddling lessons from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Complimentary boat rides will be given from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. to showcase all of the improvements made to the lake.
Get your rods and reels ready to go, bring the kids and enjoy a fun day of fishing and outdoor activities at Woods Lake! If you would like further information or directions to the event, call the Lake Shelbyville Interpretive Services and Outreach Department at (217) 774-3951 ext. 2.