Largest lakes & reservoirs in Illinois by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, 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 longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in Illinois, only the 64 Illinois lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name | Shoreline length in miles | Lake description |
---|---|---|
Lake Lou Yaeger (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
45 mi | 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 … |
Fox Lake, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
37 mi | Also known as Nippersink Lake, Fox Chain O'Lakes Located north of Chicago in the Chicagoland Region of Illinois, Fox Lake is part of the Fox River Chain of Lakes. The Fox River Chain consists of nine … |
East Fork Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
32 mi | Also known as East Fork Reservoir East Fork Lake, in the Southern Region of Illinois, is a well-kept secret in a land of many secrets. The southern third of Illinois has been known as … |
Governor Bond Lake, IL (Illinois, Southwest Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
31 mi | 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 … |
Cedar Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
30 mi | Cedar Lake is located at the edge of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. This 1,750-acre reservoir was created by the City of Carbondale … |
Little Grassy Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
28 mi | Surrounded by watchful forest trees and open grasslands, the Little Grassy Lake is a quiet body of water sitting in the middle of a Southern Illinois … |
Lake Sara, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
27 mi | 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 … |
Lake Glenn Shoals, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
27 mi | Also known as Glenn Shoals Lake Lake Glenn Shoals, also known as Glenn Shoals Lake, is located near Hillsboro, Illinois. The City of Hillsboro built the lake for flood control and wa … |
Pistakee Lake (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
22 mi | 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 … |
Evergreen Lake (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
22 mi | Also known as Evergreen Reservoir One of Central Illinois’ best-kept secret lies just north of Bloomington: Evergreen Lake. When the growing city needed additional water supply in 1971 … |
Forbes Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
18 mi | 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 … |
Holiday Shores Lake, IL (Illinois, Southwest Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
17 mi | 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 … |