Lake Monroe (Indiana) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Monroe
Satellite image of the lake
Lake Monroe Location in Indiana Show map of Indiana Lake Monroe Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Monroe / Brown counties, Indiana, United States
Coordinates	39°03′31″N 86°26′47″W / 39.0587°N 86.4464°W / 39.0587; -86.4464
Type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Salt Creek
Primary outflows	Salt Creek
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	10,750 acres (4,350 ha)
Max. depth	18 m (59 ft)
Water volume	292 to 428 million cubic meters (1.03×1010 to 1.51×1010 cu ft)
Residence time	185–408 days
Shore length1	190 mi (310 km)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Monroe is a large reservoir in Indiana, USA. It's about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Bloomington. It's the biggest lake completely within Indiana. It covers about 10,750 acres (43.5 square kilometers) of water. You can find it in Monroe and Brown counties.

The amount of water it holds changes. It can be from 292 billion liters to 428 billion liters. Around the lake, there are 13,202 acres (53.4 square kilometers) of protected forest. There are also three fun areas: Fairfax, Hardin Ridge, and Paynetown. Indiana's only federally protected U.S. Wilderness Area, the Charles C. Deam Wilderness Area, is on the south shore. This wilderness area is about 13,000 acres (53 square kilometers).

The lake's water level is usually about 538 feet (164 meters) above sea level. In very cold winters, you can even go ice fishing in some calm parts of the lake.

Ransburg Scout Reservation is a big Boy Scout camp. It has over 624 acres and is located along the eastern shore. It has its own boat docks in Siscoe Bay, also called Boy Scout Bay. The biggest boat place on the lake is Fourwinds Resort and Marina. It can hold over 800 boats. Lake Monroe is a great place for fishing all year. Many people from Indiana and nearby states come here for boating and water skiing.

Building Lake Monroe

Salt Creek's valley below the dam; this is what land now under the lake looked like before the lake was built

Work on Lake Monroe started in 1960. It was finished in 1965 and cost $16.5 million. A dam was built across Salt Creek south of Bloomington, Indiana. The water then filled the valley to the northeast of the dam. This created the large lake we see today. It stretches into nearby Brown County.

There was a small town called Elkinsville in southern Brown County. It was thought that this town would be underwater. So, the government bought the town using a process called eminent domain. This means the government can buy private land for public use, even if the owners don't want to sell. Later, it was found that the town didn't need to be moved. This was because of a mistake in how high the water would be.

Lake Monroe was built for two main reasons. First, it provides drinking water for the City of Bloomington. Second, it helps prevent floods downstream from the dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created and still manages the lake. They are responsible for keeping it safe and working well.