Largest lakes & reservoirs in Illinois by acres
There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What LakeLubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. Acreage of a lake (or sometimes square kilometers) is most often measured at the top surface area when the lake is at normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America’s Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by this measure.The other measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s water volume. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.
You can find many of the world’s largest lakes (acres) on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Acres" data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see 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 surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Illinois, only the 64 Illinois lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Surface area in acres | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Lake Sara, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
840 ac | Also known as Sara Reservoir Lake Sara – a refreshing oasis in central Illinois! What does a community like Effingham Illinois do when they run out of water? They build a reservoi … |
Wonder Lake (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
830 ac | Wonder Lake is the 830-acre centerpiece of a planned lakefront community in the Chicagoland area of Illinois. That was the vision of developers in 192 … |
Devils Kitchen Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
810 ac | Also known as Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge Devils Kitchen Lake is one of three lakes (the other two are Crab Orchard Lake and Little Grassy Lake) that are part of the Crab Orchard National Wild … |
Governor Bond Lake, IL (Illinois, Southwest Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
775 ac | Also known as Greenville New City Lake Governor Bond Lake is proclaimed to be one of Greenville, Illinois best kept secrets. A water supply reservoir built in the late 1960’s has become a t … |
Elizabeth Lake, IL/WI (Illinois, Lake Michigan Region, WI, Northern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA, Wisconsin) |
638 ac | 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 … |
Lake Carroll, IL (Illinois, Northern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
636 ac | Lake Carroll is a sparkling freshwater lake located in Carroll County, in the northwest corner of Illinois. This private body of water sits in the mid … |
Forbes Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
543 ac | 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 Marie, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
480 ac | 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 … |
Apple Canyon Lake, IL (Illinois, Northern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
480 ac | Set among the rolling hills and fertile farmland of far northwestern Illinois, life at Apple Canyon Lake is an eternal vacation. Located in scenic Jo … |
Holiday Shores Lake, IL (Illinois, Southwest Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
430 ac | Also known as Holiday Lake Holiday Shores Lake is a sprawling 430-acre, man-made lake in Madison County, Illinois. Formed by the damming of Joulters Creek in 1965, this unique l … |
Lake Centralia, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, Southwest Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
400 ac | Illinois’ Lake Centralia is an alluring 400-acre body of water that was constructed in 1910. It is located in the heart of Marion County, a region nam … |
Lake Carlinville, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
355 ac | Also known as Carlinville Lake, Lake 1 and Lake 2 Located in the Central region of Illinois, Lake Carlinville (also known as Carlinville Lake) is a 355-acre lake used for drinking water and recreation … |