Illinois Gold Prospecting

i live on a small creek in central illinois and was wondering if there may be gold in it. the creek has been here for years and has a lot of shale,looks like the creek bed is all big slabs,you can see where the water has cut for years along the bank through the layers,can anyone tell me where a good place to sample from i own the land so anywhere i need to is ok,looks like the creek has cut down 60 feet or so over the years

welcome to the site. I live in Bloomington and have prospected the area and had some luck. The trick is to find the deepest holes in the creek and then get material directly off the bedrock. I would be more than willing to come out and show you some time. When the weather permits, a 4 inch power dredge maximizes my chance of finding gold. However, panning and sluicing will work. What town are you near ? Just let me know and we could exchange info over my email.
Take care,
Dave