Lake Springfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Springfield |
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 Lake Springfield
Location in Illinois
Lake Springfield
Location in the United States
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| Location | Springfield, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 39°45′34″N 089°36′01″W / 39.75944°N 89.60028°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Lick Creek, Sugar Creek |
| Primary outflows | Sugar Creek |
| Catchment area | 265 sq mi (690 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 4,260 acres (17.2 km2) |
| Max. depth | 37 feet (11 m) |
| Water volume | 17,500,000,000 US gal (0.066 km3) |
| Shore length1 | 57 mi (92 km) |
| Surface elevation | 560 ft (170 m) |
| Settlements | Springfield |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Springfield is a big, man-made lake near Springfield, Illinois. It covers about 4,260 acres. This lake was built a long time ago to help the city. It provides drinking water and helps cool a power plant. It's also a great place for fun activities like boating and fishing!
Contents
All About Lake Springfield
Lake Springfield sits about 560 feet above sea level. It was created by building a dam across Sugar Creek. Sugar Creek is a smaller river that flows into the Sangamon River.
How Lake Springfield Was Made
The lake was built between 1931 and 1935. Workers constructed a large wall called Spaulding Dam. This dam blocked Sugar Creek, which then filled up to form the lake. The project cost about $2.5 million back then. The main reasons for building the lake were to give Springfield fresh water. It also helped cool down the City Water, Light & Power plant. Since then, it has become a popular spot for people to relax and have fun.
Getting to the Lake
You can easily see Lake Springfield from Interstate 55. The highway crosses the lake on two bridges. You can get to the lake from several exits. These include exit 88 (East Lake Shore Drive), exit 90 (Toronto Road), and exit 94 (Stevenson Drive).
Nearby Places to Explore
Lake Springfield is close to the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield. It also borders the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden. This garden is a local place where many different trees and plants grow. The Henson Robinson Zoo is also right next to the lake. Near the zoo, you can find old ruts from the Edwards Trace pioneer trail. This trail was used by early settlers. A historical marker was put there in 2002.
Water Flow and Future Plans
Two main streams flow into Lake Springfield: Lick Creek and Sugar Creek. The amount of water flowing into the lake changes with the seasons. It also changes depending on how much rain falls. Because of this, the City Water, Light & Power company has asked for permission to build another lake nearby. This new lake, called Hunter Lake, would help control water levels.
Fish You Can Catch
Lake Springfield is known as a great place for fishing. Many different kinds of fish live here. As of 2016, some fish species are doing very well.
| Species Name | What to Know |
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| Bluegill | Fish that are 6 to 8 inches long are common. |
| Channel catfish | These can grow up to 27.5 inches long. They can weigh up to 13.5 pounds. |
| Flathead catfish | These big fish can sometimes weigh as much as 60 pounds! |
| Largemouth bass | These fish can be up to 22 inches long. They can weigh up to 6.5 pounds. |
| White bass | It's common to catch these fish up to 15 inches long. |
| White crappie | These can be up to 15 inches long. They can also weigh up to 2 pounds. |
Other types of fish you might find in the lake include blue catfish, black crappie, and green sunfish. You might also catch green sunfish x bluegill hybrids, freshwater drum, redear sunfish, carp, walleye, saugeye, black bullhead, and yellow bullhead.
