Marseilles SFWA and LaSalle Lake SFWA: Rainy Days at Small Parks, Pt. 2

After a string of cold and rainy weekends in March and April, we finally decided to risk bad weather and head back out to the Starved Rock area to get the two parks in the area that did not have hiking: Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area and LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area. We knew before hand that although these parks are on par with Starved Rock and Matthiessen in terms of size, neither listed hiking as an activity on neither the IDNR website nor the parks magazine we have been using as a planning reference. Instead, Marseilles SFWA listed hunting as the primary activity, and LaSalle Lake is a good spot for fishing and picnicking.

A theme for this day was being very confused about where to go. We started by heading to Marseilles SFWA, but the property is surrounded by fences and really scary signs about it being a high hazard area with the potential for there to be unexploded ammunition around. The only entrance we saw was gated, and it is used for the Illinois National Guard for training most of the year. This is the first park we’ve encountered with so many restrictions, and we definitely would not have been allowed in.

Then we drove to LaSalle Lake SFWA. This is a man made lake that was built specifically as a cooling reservoir. Just entering the park into google maps, we were taken on a dirt road to a locked fence, so unless you already know where to go, you have to follow the directions on the IDNR website. Otherwise, you will get confused. But, once got the directions sorted out, we found the lake to be rather peaceful. There were no shortage of places to fish from the shore, and we saw several that day, despite the rain clouds coming in quick. We learned later that boaters are allowed to fish on the lake as well, but because of how it was built, it is actually very hazardous for anyone inexperienced. We do think this would be a decent spot to come enjoy some water views, however.

We left just as it started pouring out, and went to Fire on Fifth in Peru, IL for lunch. This is a restaurant where you can pour your own beer. This type of experience is becoming more common, but it is still worth checking out. They have very good pizza and some hard to find beers on tap.

In conclusion, do not visit Marseilles SFWA, unless you are a hunter who has confirmed that there is not national guard training that day. LaSalle Lake is very nice, but is a long drive from Chicago for just picnicking and shore fishing. If you are visiting the area and want to check out a park, we would recommend visiting Illini State Park in Marseilles, or going a little further west to visit Buffalo Rock, Matthiessen, or Starved Rock instead.