- 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, KeyesportCarlyle Lake is a man made lake or
reservoir largely located inClinton 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 theKaskaskia River , thereby creating a reservoir filled to a mean elevation of 446 feet (136 m) above sea level. The region ofSouthern Illinois where Carlyle Lake now stands is relatively flat, and the lake is relatively shallow. Construction of the dam began onOctober 18 ,1958 and it was dedicated onJune 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 theCarlyle 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 shorelinerecreation , such asswimming .Carlyle Lake is used by many for
boating , particularlysailing , andfishing . Many use the lake to catchchannel catfish ,flathead s,largemouth bass ,white bass ,crappie , andbluegill . 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)
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