Deepest lakes & reservoirs in Illinois by maximum depth (ft)
The estimated greatest depth of the water in a lake can be measured at the lake’s normal elevation. If the water volume and surface area of a lake are known, an estimate of the lake’s average depth can be calculated:Water volume ÷ Surface Area = Average Depth
Example: 1,000,000 acre-feet ÷ 20,000 acres = 50 feet average depth.
You can find many of the the world’s deepest lakes on LakeLubbers. If you sort the list, you will find the (maximum depth of) the shallowest lakes in our database. Note: For some lakes, lake depth data is unknown, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 64 articles we have published for Illinois lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Illinois > Compared by maximum depth in feet. This list does not represent all lakes in Illinois, only the 64 Illinois lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Max depth in feet | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Little Swan Lake, IL (Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA, Western Illinois) |
36 ft | TEST – Little Swan Lake is a private community tucked away in the quiet atmosphere of rural Warren County in west central Illinois. Property owners a … |
Pistakee Lake (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
36 ft | Also known as Lake Pistakee, Fox Chain O'Lakes Pistakee Lake is a well-known destination to generations of Chicago area Lakelubbers. Located on the famous Fox River Chain of Lakes in the Chicagolan … |
Carlyle Lake, IL (Illinois, Southwest Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
35 ft | Also known as Carlyle Reservoir Carlyle Lake, located in south-central Illinois, holds dual titles as largest artificial lake and largest body of water wholly contained within the st … |
Highland Lake, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
35 ft | If you’ve ever dreamed of leaving the city on Friday night and quickly arriving at a lakefront piece of heaven, then Highland Lake is just the place f … |
Lake Marie, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
35 ft | Also known as Fox Chain O' Lakes Fresh water bog, river bluff and gently sloping hills characterize the land around Lake Marie. Cherry elm, birch, sumac and spruce are beautiful in th … |
Lake Mattoon, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
35 ft | Surrounded by farmlands in the Central region of Illinois is Lake Mattoon. A quiet and tranquil retreat for many Illinoisans and out-of-towners, the l … |
Rend Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
35 ft | Rend Lake, located in southern Illinois, is a fantastic place to enjoy all sorts of outdoor recreational activities. This reservoir, the second larges … |
Long Lake, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
32 ft | Also known as Fox Chain O'Lakes Located 40 miles northwest of Chicago, the Fox Chain O’Lakes is one of the most popular inland water sport destinations in the state of Illinois. The … |
Elizabeth Lake, IL/WI (Illinois, Lake Michigan Region, WI, Northern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
32 ft | Also known as Lake Elizabeth, Twin Lakes Lake Elizabeth or Elizabeth Lake, as it is more commonly known, has been a vacation getaway for over 150 years. Located in the Northern Region of Illi … |
Bangs Lake, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
32 ft | Bangs Lake is a natural glacial lake located in northeastern Illinois’ Lake County. Bangs Lake is surrounded by the developing northern suburbs of Chi … |
Forbes Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
31 ft | What started as a humble two acre lake in a twenty acre park has grown into one of southern Illinois’ best fishing lakes and a great family destinatio … |
Lake Lou Yaeger (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
31 ft | Also known as Lake Lou, Lou Yaeger Reservoir One of the hidden gems in the central Illinois heartland, Lake Lou Yaeger provides over 1200 acres of recreational enjoyment to residents and visitors … |