Lake Shelbyville Water Level
Illinois · Kaskaskia River
Full pool is the summer level. Lake Shelbyville is drawn down about 5.7 ft to roughly 594 ft over winter for flood storage, so a lower reading outside the summer season is usually scheduled rather than drought.
Sponsor Lake Shelbyville
Put your marina, real-estate, or local business in front of everyone checking this lake's level. One exclusive sponsor per lake.
Cancel anytime · Questions?
Water level history
About Lake Shelbyville
Lake Shelbyville is a reservoir on the Kaskaskia River in Illinois, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its full summer pool sits at 599.7 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Lake Shelbyville's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers targets when Lake Shelbyville is completely filled — 599.7 feet above sea level. Above that line the Corps deliberately keeps empty "flood storage" to absorb heavy rain, so the lake rarely sits far above 599.7 ft for long. A reading a few feet under full is usually just the normal operating band rather than a sign of drought.
In a typical year the Corps keeps Lake Shelbyville lower over winter for flood storage and lets it fill for the summer recreation season. Levels can jump several feet after a single big storm and are drawn down again once the high water passes.
The recent high and low above are drawn from the published history available for Lake Shelbyville, so they show how today compares over that record rather than an all-time extreme. The 12-month and 5-year chart views make the trend and the lake's usual seasonal shape easy to see.
Lake Shelbyville — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Lake Shelbyville?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Lake Shelbyville's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS).
What is full pool for Lake Shelbyville?
Lake Shelbyville's full summer pool is 599.7 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Lake Shelbyville?
Lake Shelbyville is operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Kaskaskia River.
Where is Lake Shelbyville located?
Lake Shelbyville is in Illinois, on the Kaskaskia River.
Why is Lake Shelbyville low right now?
Reservoir levels fall during dry spells and seasonal drawdown — when U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lowers the pool for flood storage, power, or water supply — and recover after rain and snowmelt. The history chart above shows the recent trend.
What are the record high and low levels for Lake Shelbyville?
The recent record high and low elevations are shown in the stats on this page, computed from the available published history for Lake Shelbyville.
Other lakes near Lake Shelbyville
- Carlyle LakeIL
- Rend LakeIL
- Lake BarkleyKY/TN
- Barren River LakeKY
- Blue Springs LakeMO
- Bull Shoals LakeAR/MO
See current levels for all 3 Illinois lakes and reservoirs →
Add this gauge to your website
Run a marina, boat rental, guide service, or real-estate site on Lake Shelbyville? Put this free live-level widget on your page — just copy and paste the code: