Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area facts for kids

Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is a special protected place in Illinois. It covers about 1,181 acres, which is like 900 football fields! This area is right next to the Illinois River and the city of Pekin, Illinois, in Tazewell County. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) helps take care of it. They describe it as a low-lying area with slow-moving water, lakes, and small wooded hills.

What is Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?

This protected area is a "riparian ecosystem." This means it's a place along a river that often gets flooded. Because of this, the land is very wet. The IDNR looks after this area for outdoor fun. People can enjoy sports like hunting deer and waterfowl (like ducks and geese) if they have a license.

Hunting and Trapping Activities

People can also trap small animals that have fur, such as beavers and muskrats. These animals are called "furbearing mammals." To get permission for trapping or to use certain hunting spots, people enter a yearly drawing held by the IDNR. This makes sure everyone has a fair chance.

Pekin, Illinois, has a long history of hunting and trapping in its wetlands. The Wildlife Area still protects these wet lands for these activities. However, the area and its river lakes have changed a lot since the early days when pioneers lived here.

Lakes and Features of the Area

The Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area has two long, narrow lakes. These lakes, called Pekin Lake and Worley Lake, run parallel to the Illinois River. You might also see some man-made paths, called causeways, that cross the soft, muddy wetlands. One of these causeways carries big power lines. These lines help power the E.D. Edwards Power Plant across the river.

The Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is managed as part of the Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area. Spring Lake is another hunting preserve located near Manito, Illinois.