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Saylorville Lake - COE/Bob Shetler Rec Area

Saylorville Lake Coe Bob Shetler Recreation Area is a popular outdoor recreation area located in Johnston, Iowa. The area is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and offers a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy. Visitors can enjoy camping, fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, biking, and picnicking. The area also features a marina, boat ramp, and a beach. The lake is stocked with a variety of fish, including walleye, bass, and catfish. The area is also home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, turkey, and waterfowl.

Amenities

- Recreational Facilities

• River
• Swimming
• Fishing
• Ramp
• Body Of Water (Des Moines River)
• Horseshoes
• Playground
• Watersports

- Policies

• Pets Welcome
• Day Max Stay (14)
• Tent Camping Allowed

- Other Amenities & Services

• Restroom and Showers

- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)

• Hiking
• Mountain Biking

- Facility

• Type (Public Corps)
• Partial Handicap Access

- Hunting Nearby (within 20 miles)

• Season: Winter,Fall

- On-Site Rentals

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- Sites

• Spaces Available (67)
• Width (25)
• Max Length (55)
• Gravel Sites (67)
• 30 Amp
• 50 Amp
• Electric (67)
• Max Amps (50)
• Pull-thrus (6)
• Pull-thru Size (25 x 55)
• Back-ins (20 x 40)
• Site Length (55)
• Fire Rings

User Reviews

TerryLisa Moore

October 10, 2025

We love COE parks as the sites lend to be large, are by water, & often out of town. This one is very close to Des Moines & thus very populated by fisherman & car traffic; with fishermen still present & racing cars at 3 am on a Thursday evening. Not the peace & quiet we were looking for. We stayed 3 nights in site 9 which is a lovely FHU site. Shower house is used by campground & non campground folk, so was not the cleanest.

Kim Meyer

September 08, 2025

I only gave 3 stars 🌟 because there was sooooo much dog poop 💩 on my site!!! I have a dog and am irresponsible pet parent and pick up after my dog. The amount of poop that was there meant that nobody attended and cleaned up my sight before I arrived. Otherwise our stay was wonderful quiet and peaceful.

Anna Puffett

September 01, 2025

Five stars with the caveat of....know this place will be busy! A ton of people fishing and driving over the dam. If you know that going in, there really aren't any complaints! Hookups were easy, sites were level. Good signage and easy to access. Womens bathroom was not clean but other than that, our experience was great! Kids caught a number of fish and loved watching the dam output. So reasonably priced! Definitely would stay again!

Mary Spiller

August 31, 2025

Only stayed overnight but facilities and site were clean except for dog poop. Campers next site over did not keep their dogs on a leash and they "visited" our site a couple times. Ours were in their fenced play yard and we cleaned up after them. Looks like lots to do. Hopefully next trip will have more time.

Brad Phillips

July 13, 2025

Nice park at the base of a Dam. Good fishing. Nice people.

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Map for Saylorville Lake - COE/Bob Shetler Rec Area

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