Discover the Newest Lake in All of Illinois

Illinois has over two thousand lakes in the state. Some of the lakes are as old as thirteen thousand years ago. The title of the oldest lake belongs to Lake Michigan. It was called Lake Chicago before being known as Lake Michigan. Lake Chicago formed 15,000 years ago when melting glaciers in a span of 1 billion years filled a giant basin. Many eras later, people still discover Illinois’ newest lake, Carlyle Lake, without recognizing its youth.

What’s The Newest Lake In All Of Illinois?

Illinois’ newest lake is Carlyle Lake. It’s a 26,000-acre lake located in Clinton County, Illinois. Carlyle is thirty-five feet deep. Carlyle Lake was finished in April of 1967 believe it or not. The Carlyle Dam was commemorated in June of 1967. Wildlife and Native Americans used to roam the Carlyle area. The forest-filled environment was home to a natural ford used for crossing into different areas. Settlers used the natural ford (a crossing) to travel on the overland route from Ohio to St. Louis.

How Did Lake Carlyle Come To Be?

Illinois’ first capital was Kaskaskia. It was a booming city during the Industrial Revolution thanks to technology like the railroad, steamboats, and factories. The Kaskaskia River started to have frequent flooding. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a new thing for Clinton County. It has become a growing concern since the 1800s. Illinois’ first capital was Kaskaskia. Although the city’s economy was booming thanks to the steamboat usage on the nearby Mississippi River, what helped their economy became its undoing. The deforestation of the area thanks to steamboat crews brought forth soil erosion and unstable river banks.

The original Kaskaskia location is immersed beneath the Mississippi River. So the original capital has moved several times.

The Project Starts

Fast forward to the 1930s and a growing concern in Clinton County caught the attention of its citizens. The severe flooding in the 1930s resulted in the citizens forming an organization to create a solution. That organization conducted five years of research, studying the geographical landscape of the state along with the socioeconomic status. Thanks to their hard work, Congress passed the Flood Control Act of June 28, 1938. The plan involves the development of the Kaskaskia Basin to be in place alongside a major reservoir at Carlyle and several levees.

Interest in Lake Carlyle grew after World War 2 and construction began in October 1958. The government purchased 25,000 acres of land as the canvas of the man-made lake. Roads were reconstructed and townhomes were moved for the massive project in order to make space for the lake. The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroads were also affected. Several hundred gravesites between seven cemeteries were moved to create space for the lake.

Five bridges span across the large body of water between the Keysport and Boulder, Illinois. Carlyle Lake officially opened in April 1967. The Carlyle Lake Dam opened two months later.

Wildlife At The Lake

Carlyle Lake has a majestic wildlife ecosystem. It is a very diverse area. There are over 9,500 acres of wildlife. It has 2,500 acres of woodland, approximately 6,000 acres of water and wetlands, and 1,500 acres of cropland for wildlife.

Carlyle provides a hunting ground where people can hunt turkeys, squirrels, bobwhite quail, doves, and more. Trapping is permitted. It also has five beaches and several fishing sites across the lake. If you do plan on hunting, stay up to date with Illinois’ hunting regulations.

The water has a great population of game fish from catfish, bluegill, bass, crappie, flathead, largemouth bass, and sauger fishes. People can’t fish in the roped-off areas. The roped-off areas are where people can swim in. Illinois’ Department of Wildlife allows hunting at the Kaskaskia River connected to the lake.

The lake is an excellent place for bird-watching. Visitors can find all types of birds. Some of the birds at Carlyle are cormorants, bald eagles, great blue herons, shorebirds, and songbirds.

It Is A Great Place For Events

Plenty of people visit the lake annually to either hunt, fish, or camp. The 25,000-acre lake provides many campsites. Staff that works with the lakes does allow groups of twenty-five people or more to visit the campgrounds and lake for events. A reservation is needed for people to host events and mass gatherings.

Several events happen at Carlyle annually. It is the host of the Carlyle Lake Triathalon, a car show, fall festivals, haunted trails for the Halloween season, and their Christmas parade. Christmas in Carlyle is a light show at the lake grounds that’s a jolly good time for the holidays.

For people who love cheap deals and thrifting, the lake has city-wide yard sale events every Spring and Fall. Carlyle is also home to several fishing tournaments and their annual county fair every July. There is something for everybody.

Summary

Natural disasters bring communities together. No matter the case. A history of severe flooding in the area, especially in Illinois’ very first capital, raised concerns from the citizens of Clinton County. In the 1930s, the citizens collaborated on a five-year research project to present to Congress. Their desire for change helped Congress pass the Flood Control Act of June 28th, 1938.

It took two decades for the creation of Carlyle Lake to commence in 1958. Carlyle finally opened in April of 1967 with their honorary dam opening in June of 1967. The 25,000-acre landscape is home to plenty of mammals and fish. It became a hotspot for the community as if the area was still the capital today. It’s the spot for many festivals, city-wide yard sales, holiday events, fishing tournaments, and more.

Outside of the pedestrian events it hosts, the lake is a wonderful vast space of nature to go camping, hunting, fishing, and bird watching. The lake grounds provide several trails for hiking and biking, making it a perfect place to have their annual triathlon.