My wife and I are planning a camping trip in August. We had been aiming toward Clinton Lake for a while (never been there). Read mixed things about it online--mostly dated though. Was wondering if anyone else had an opinion about it.
Also thinking about Shelbyville in the alternative (never been there either). I know there are 2 state parks across from each other and was wondering if they catered to different people (like maybe old people on one side, partiers on the other)? I also looked at some of the federal campgrounds, and noticed they said lake access is difficult due to steep banks. Is that typical for state sites too? How's the shore fishing? Is it even a real option?
Anyways, all advice will be appreciated.

I have been to all 3. Camping at eagle creek has been nice. We have never stayed at wolf creek but it seems equally nice. The is a sick abount of deer at wolf creek if your into photos or anything like that. Eagle creek has a golf course and a small resort.

I have never camped at clinton, but I have parked in the campground and hunted hearby. It also seems like a nice place. I do remember that they have some regulations on alcohol. I think it might just be a certain loop though...that would be a deal braker for me.

If you do any bow hunting, clinton and eagle creek both have bow ranges, clintons is a lot nicer though. Bank fishing could be done from either place, you might have more options at clinton, but would be fine either way.

Let me know how it goes, we are thinking of going up that way this fall for a trip. My wife and I went to college up there and enjoy going back to central il.

By they way...there is a state park just south of clinton off of 51 that looks super nice. I can't remember the name of it but I remember I was impressed. The bank fishing was pretty good there too...I might have to look it up.

Thanks for the input. We're planning on going mid-August.
By the way, I think the park off 51 might be Weldon Springs--I thought about a leftover turkey tag there one year but never ended up going.

Shelbyville has some nice campgrounds, especially Coon Creek and Wolf Creek. I believe Wolf creek has a beech and swimming area. Bo Woods campground has some good bank fishing spots and I have done good there for crappie in the Spring. Boat traffic can get pretty heavy on the lake during the summer making it hard to fish.

It's been a few years since I've been to Clinton but if I remember right there are a couple of campgrounds there. The banks are lower and we were able to beach our boat so we didn't have to pull it everyday. It would probably be easier to do any bank fishing at Clinton than Shelbyville.

Weldon Springs is the small park close to Clinton and used to have some decent bluegill and crappie, not sure how things are there these days.

Yes weldon springs is the other place. It was in one of our RV magazines a few years ago as one of the top 100 campgrounds to go to.

Thanks for the info, Mdoc.

Got back from Clinton last night. It was nice, though not my favorite state camp ground. Everythings well maintained, including the bathrooms & showers. The flush toilet and showers were driving distance from our site, and the pits were a fairly long walk. Our site backed up to the lake. It was down hill a bit, with a steep drop at the end. There was a rip-rap berm along the shoreline, which wasn't the most pleasant fishing over, but I did catch some fish. If you go, bring all the food and supplies you can, because towns about 10 miles, and we found the grocery store to be a bit expensive in Clinton when we ran into town. There's a couple nice taverns in DeWitt that serve food if you get tired of cooking, and a guy on the south side of town that sells firewood. We saw a fair amount of wildlife. Also, if you plan on hunting, you need to register on line for a free site permit for everything (including squirrels). They have a computer set up at the site office you can use, but the office isn't always open. Overall, I'd rate the site good, but not great. the camp sites were a little smaller and/or closer together than I'm used to, and the other thing I didn't like was that the gravel pad for the camper was extended around the fire pit. I'm sure its safer, but it just doesn't feel right, stepping out of the camper into a gravel drive and going sitting on a lawn chair in gravel.