Lake Springfield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Springfield
Lake Springfield Location in Illinois Show map of Illinois Lake Springfield Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Springfield, Illinois
Coordinates	39°45′34″N 089°36′01″W / 39.75944°N 89.60028°W / 39.75944; -89.60028
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 4,260-acre (17.2 km²) reservoir on the southeast edge of the city of Springfield, Illinois. It is 560 ft (170 m) above sea level. The lake was formed in 1931–1935 by building Spaulding Dam across Sugar Creek, a tributary of the Sangamon River.

The lake was created, at a cost of $2.5 million (in 1930s dollars), as a source of water for Springfield and to provide coolant for the City Water, Light & Power coal-fired electrical generating plant. It has also served as a focus of local recreation. High-powered motor boats are allowed on much of the lake, and the lake is known for warm-water fish.

Lake Springfield can be seen from Interstate 55. The limited-access highway crosses the lake on two bridges between mileposts 88 and 89. The lake is accessible from exit 88 (East Lake Shore Drive), exit 90 (Toronto Road), and exit 94 (Stevenson Drive).

Lake Springfield is close to the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield. It also borders Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden, a local arboretum, and the Henson Robinson Zoo. Lake Park, just north of the zoo, has preserved ruts of the Edwards Trace pioneer trail; a historical marker was posted near the trace in 2002.

Lake Springfield tributaries include Lick Creek and Sugar Creek. Water discharged from these watercourses into Lake Springfield fluctuates with the seasons and with changes in local precipitation, and City Water, Light & Power has asked for permission to build a buffer lake, Hunter Lake, nearby.

Fishing

Lake Springfield is a highly ranked fishing lake. Species that are doing well, as of 2016, include:

Other fish found in the lake include blue catfish, black crappie, green sunfish, green sunfish x bluegill hybrid, freshwater drum, redear sunfish, carp, walleye, saugeye, black bullhead and yellow bullhead.