Winter Camp Check and 2023 Season Just Around the Corner at Lake Jacksonville

By Jeremy Coumbes on February 10, 2023 at 10:04am

The 2023 season out at Lake Jacksonville is just around the corner, and the Parks and Lakes Department has announced the opening dates. Coming up in a little over one week, campers will be able to perform the winter check-up of their campsites soon.

Lake Jacksonville Superintendent Brett Gilbreth says public access for the campsite winter check will be on Saturday, February 18th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. “We’ll open up gates one and three to let the private campgrounds access those campsites that you can’t walk from the road.

We have to keep the cables up for the public campers on one through nine because they are right off the road. Last year we had a lot of issues, actually the last two years, with the constant freezing and thawing of the roadways. Then we get a bunch of traffic in there and it just crumbles up our road. So we’re asking those folks who camp on points one through nine to simply park and walk in if they would please, just to kind of save some wear and tear on our facility.”

Lake Jacksonville will then open for the 2023 season on March 31st, at 8:00 am, with boat access beginning at 8:00 am on March 11th. Gilbreth is reminding boaters that the City Clerk’s office will not be selling boat stickers. “It used to be that you could start buying boat stickers up at the clerk’s office, and they’ve got enough stuff going on up there, so we made the previous year’s valid for that first month of fishing and then when we open up the concession building you can purchase them then.

Normally that’s on April first, but with it falling on a Saturday this year, we wanted to open up a day early. So we will be opening up for the camping season on March 31st, which is a Friday. Then boat stickers will be void from 2022 on April 1st. So you’ll either have to buy an eleven-dollar daily pass, or a new season pass starting on April 1st, and those will be sold there at the concession building.”

Daily passes are available for $11.00 for those who do not wish to purchase a full season pass, and 2023 seasonal boating permits will be valid until April 1, 2024.

Gilbreth says anyone with questions is welcome to call the Jacksonville Parks and Lakes Department at 217-479-4613.