List of lakes of Illinois facts for kids

Illinois is a big state, and it has many amazing lakes and reservoirs! A lake is a large body of water surrounded by land. A reservoir is a special kind of lake that people create, usually by building a dam across a river. Reservoirs are often used to store water for drinking, power, or to control floods.

This list will help you discover some of the cool lakes and reservoirs found across Illinois. They are listed in alphabetical order by their names. Some of these lakes are great for swimming, fishing, or boating, but not all of them. Always check local rules before you visit!

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with A

• Anderson Lake, in Fulton County.
• Antioch Lake, in Antioch, Lake County.
• Apple Canyon Lake (a reservoir), a private lake community near Apple River in Jo Daviess County.
• Argyle Lake (a reservoir), in McDonough County.
• Lake Arlington, in Arlington Heights, Cook County.
• Augusta Lake (a reservoir), in Hancock County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with B

• Baldwin Lake (a reservoir), in Randolph County.
• Bangs Lake, in Wauconda, Lake County.
• Lake Barrington, in Lake County.
• Bayles Lake (a reservoir), in Iroquois County.
• Big Bear Lake, in Vernon Hills, Lake County.
• Lake Bloomington (a reservoir), in McLean County.
• Bluff Lake, in Lake County.
• Lake Bracken (a reservoir), near Galesburg, Knox County.
• Butler Lake (a reservoir), in Libertyville, Lake County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with C

• Lake Calumet, in Chicago, Cook County.
• Candlewick Lake (a reservoir), in Boone County.
• Canton Lake (a reservoir), in Fulton County.
• Lake Carlton (a reservoir), in Whiteside County.
• Carlyle Lake (a reservoir), in Clinton County.
• Lake Carroll (a reservoir), in Carroll County.
• Lake Catherine, in Lake County.
• Cedar Lake (a reservoir), in Jackson County.
• Cedar Lake, in Lake Villa, Lake County.
• Lake Centralia (a reservoir), in Marion County.
• Chain O'Lakes, found in Lake and McHenry Counties.
• Channel Lake, in Lake County.
• Lake Charles (a reservoir), in Lake County.
• Lake Charleston (a reservoir), in Coles County.
• Clear Lake, in Sangamon County.
• Clinton Lake (a reservoir), in DeWitt County.
• Coffeen Lake (a reservoir), in Montgomery County.
• Countryside Lake (a reservoir), in Lake County.
• Crab Orchard Lake (a reservoir), in Williamson County.
• Cranberry Lake, in Lake County.
• Crystal Lake, in McHenry County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with D

• Davis Lake, in Lake County.
• Dawson Lake (a reservoir), in McLean County.
• Lake Decatur (a reservoir), in Macon County.
• Deep Lake, in Lake County.
• Deer Lake, in Lake County.
• Devils Kitchen Lake (a reservoir), in Williamson County.
• Diamond Lake, near Mundelein, Lake County.
• Druce Lake, in Lake County.
• Duck Lake, in Lake County.
• Dunlap Lake (a reservoir), in Madison County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with E

• East Fork Lake (a reservoir), in Richland County.
• Echo Lake, in Lake Zurich, Lake County.
• Lake of Egypt (a reservoir), found in Williamson and Johnson Counties.
• Elmwood Farms Lake (a reservoir), in Lake County.
• Evergreen Lake (a reservoir), in McLean and Woodford Counties.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with F

• Lake Fairfield, in Lake County.
• Ferne Clyffe Lake, in Johnson County.
• Fish Lake, in Lake County, which used to be called Duncan Lake.
• Five Oaks Ski Lake, in Frankfort, Will County.
• Forest Lake, in Lake County.
• Fourth Lake, in Lake Villa, Lake County.
• Fox Lake, in Lake County.
• Frentress Lake, in Jo Daviess County.
• Fyre Lake (a reservoir), near Sherrard, Mercer County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with G

• Gages Lake, in Lake County.
• Lake Galena (a reservoir), in Jo Daviess County.
• Lake Glenn Shoals (a reservoir), in Montgomery County.
• Goose Lake, in Grundy County.
• Governor Bond Lake (a reservoir), in Bond County.
• Grass Lake, in Lake County.
• Grassy Lake, in Lake County.
• Grays Lake, in Lake County.
• Griswold Lake, in McHenry County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with H

• Hastings Lake, in Lake County.
• Heidecke Lake, in Grundy County.
• Hendrick Lake, in Lake County.
• Hifer Lake, in McLean County.
• Highland Lake, in Lake County.
• Lake Hillcrest (a reservoir), in Madison County.
• Lake Holiday (a reservoir), in LaSalle County.
• Homer White Lake (a reservoir), in Lake County.
• Honey Lake, in Lake County.
• Horseshoe Lake, in Alexander County.
• Horseshoe Lake, in Madison County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with I

• Lake Iroquois (a reservoir), in Iroquois County.
• Island Lake, found in Lake and McHenry Counties.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with J

• Lake Jacksonville (a reservoir), near Jacksonville, Morgan County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with K

• Kellart Lake (a reservoir), near Cissna Park, Iroquois County.
• Kidd Lake, in Monroe County.
• Lake Killarney, in McHenry County.
• Kinkaid Lake (a reservoir), in Jackson County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with L

• Lake in the Hills.
• Lake Lancelot, in Peoria County.
• LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area.
• Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park.
• Lincoln Lake near Coal City.
• Lake Linden in Lindenhurst.
• Lake Petersburg, in Menard County.
• Little Grassy Lake (a reservoir), found in Jackson and Williamson Counties.
• Little Swan Lake (a reservoir), near Avon, Fulton County.
• Long Lake.
• Loon Lake (East and West), in Lake County.
• Lake Lou Yaeger, in Montgomery County.
• Lake Louise in Barrington.
• Lake Louise near Bryon.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with M

• Lake Marie, in Lake County.
• Lake Mattoon (a reservoir), found in Coles, Cumberland and Shelby Counties.
• McCullom Lake.
• Lake Meadow, in Madison County.
• Meredosia Lake.
• Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area.
• Lake Michigan (a very large lake!).
• Mill Creek Lake, in Clark County.
• Miltmore Lake, in Lake County.
• Monee Reservoir, in Will County.
• Mud Lake.
• Murphy Lake (a reservoir), in Cook County.
• Lake Murphysboro State Park (a reservoir), in Jackson County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with N

• Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (a reservoir), in Jasper County.
• Lake Napa Suwe, in Wauconda.
• Nippersink Lake, in Lake County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with O

• Lake Opeka, in Des Plaines, Cook County.
• Otter Lake (a reservoir), in Macoupin County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with P-Q

• Papoose Lake, in Cook County.
• Lake Paradise (a reservoir), in Coles County.
• Peoria Lake, found in Peoria and Tazewell Counties.
• Petite Lake, in Lake County.
• Pierce Lake, a human-made lake in Rock Cut State Park.
• Pistakee Lake.
• Potomac Lake, in Lake County.
• Pana Lake, a human-made lake in Christian and Shelby Counties.
• Paragon Lake, also a human-made lake in Christian County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with R

• Raccoon Lake, in Marion County.
• Ramsey Lake (a reservoir), in Fayette County.
• Redwing Slough Lake, in Lake County.
• Rend Lake (a reservoir), found in Franklin and Jefferson Counties.
• Rice Lake, in Fulton County.
• Round Lake, in Lake County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with S

• Saganashkee Slough, in Cook County.
• Saint Marys Lake near Mundelein, Lake County.
• Sam Dale Lake (a reservoir), in Wayne County.
• Sand Lake, in Lake County.
• Sangchris Lake (a reservoir), found in Christian and Sangamon Counties.
• Lake Sara near Effingham.
• Senachwine Lake.
• Shabbona Lake (a reservoir), in DeKalb County.
• Shagbark Lake Near Des Plaines River, Illinois.
• Lake Shelbyville (a reservoir), found in Shelby and Moultrie Counties.
• Silver Lake, in Lake County.
• Skokie Lagoons (a reservoir), in Cook County.
• Slough Lake, in Lake County.
• Spoon Lake near Dahinda.
• Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area.
• Lake Springfield (a reservoir), in Sangamon County.
• Sterling Lake, in Lake County.
• Lake Storey, in Galesburg, Illinois.
• Lake Summerset (a reservoir), found in Stephenson and Winnebago Counties.
• Sun Lake, in Lake County.
• Sylvan Lake, in Lake County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with T

• Lake Taylorville (a reservoir), in Christian County.
• Third Lake.
• Lake Thunderbird (a reservoir), in Putnam County.
• Tower Lakes.
• Timberlake, in Barrington, Lake County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with U

• Upper Peoria Lake.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with V

• Valley Lake, in Lake County.
• Vandalia Lake (a reservoir), in Fayette County.
• Lake Vermilion (a reservoir), in Vermilion County.
• Vermont New Lake (a reservoir), in McDonough County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with W-Y

• Washington County State Lake.
• Waterford Lake near Lake Villa.
• Waverly Lake, in Morgan County.
• West Frankfort Lake, in Franklin County.
• Lake Wildwood (a reservoir), in Marshall County near Varna.
• Wolf Lake, in Cook County.
• Wonder Lake, in McHenry County.
• Woodhaven Lakes, in Lee County.
• Wooster Lake, in Lake County.

Lakes and Reservoirs Starting with Z

• Lake Zurich, in Lake County.