Carlyle Lake

Infobox lake
lake_name = Carlyle Lake
image_lake = Carlyle Lake Illinois aerial view.jpg
caption_lake = Aerial view of Carlyle Lake over the Coles Creek Recreation Area
image_bathymetry =
caption_bathymetry =
location = Clinton County, Illinois
coords = coord|38|37|8.18|N|89|21|10.28|W|region:US-IL_type:waterbody|display=inline,title (Dam)
type = Reservoir
inflow = Kaskaskia River, North Fork
outflow = Kaskaskia River
catchment =
basin_countries = United States
length = convert|15|mi|km|1
width = convert|3.5|mi|km|1
area = convert|26000|acre|km2|1
depth = convert|11|ft|m|1
max-depth = convert|35|ft|m|1
volume =
residence_time =
shore = convert|85|mi|km|1
elevation = convert|445|ft|m|1
islands =
cities = Carlyle, Keyesport

Carlyle Lake is a man made lake or reservoir largely located in Clinton County, Illinois, with smaller portions of the lake within Bond and Fayette counties. It is the largest man made lake in Illinois and the largest lake wholly within the state.

The lake was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built "Carlyle Dam" across the Kaskaskia River, thereby creating a reservoir filled to a mean elevation of 446 feet (136 m) above sea level. The region of Southern Illinois where Carlyle Lake now stands is relatively flat, and the lake is relatively shallow. Construction of the dam began on October 18, 1958 and it was dedicated on June 3, 1967.

Grouped around the lake are the Dam West, Dam East, Coles Creek, Boulder and Coles Creek Recreation Areas operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area, South Shore State Park, and the Carlyle Lake Wildlife Management Area operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Carlyle Lake is managed for flood control purposes, which means that the lake level fluctuates sharply with the seasons. Creeks that flow into the lake sometimes alternate between being three-mile-long estuaries and being mud flats. For this reason, it is not an ideal lake for some forms of shoreline recreation, such as swimming.

Carlyle Lake is used by many for boating, particularly sailing, and fishing. Many use the lake to catch channel catfish, flatheads, largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, and bluegill. The bass scene is particularly lively, with several tagged-bass and catch-and-release championships annually.

The lake is separated into two unequal halves by a 3.5-mile-long (6 km) railroad embankment, and five bridges, carrying the tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. 600 graves were moved from seven cemeteries and 69 oil wells were capped prior to flooding the area.

The lake continues to be managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

External links

* [http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/Carlyle/ Carlyle Lake - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]
* [http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/Carlyle/History/History_Splash.htm History]
*PDF| [http://www.ifishillinois.org/profiles/lakes/pdfMaps/carlyle%20fishing%20guide.pdf Fishing Guide] |6.20 MB (Source of depths and shoreline)