Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Dispersed Camping

This 2,400-acre oxbow lake offers scattered primitive camping spots along the north shore levee road. Sites are informal pullouts with fire rings built by previous visitors. Lake provides excellent fishing for bass, catfish, and seasonal waterfowl hunting. During migration seasons, expect heavy waterfowl hunter traffic at dawn and dusk. Mosquitoes can be intense May through August.

Access via gravel levee road from IL Route 3, then 1.5 miles of maintained gravel. Sites flood during spring high water on the Mississippi. No facilities except vault toilets near boat launch. Popular with locals so claim spots early during hunting seasons.

Oxbow lake camping near Mississippi River