Newest reservoirs in Illinois
The year that a reservoir was first filled to the reservoir’s normal elevation – or the year that a natural lake was first dammed – is the determining factor in the age of the body of water. A large reservoir can take more than a year to fill after its dam is first closed. You can find many of the the world’s newest reservoirs on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Many of the world’s oldest reservoirs appear on the last page of that list. Note: For some lakes, the completion year data is unknown, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 64 articles we have published for Illinois lakes.Thinking about booking a Illinois lake vacation home rental, cabin or hotel?
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Illinois > Compared by newest (youngest) reservoirs and the year it was completed. This list does not represent all lakes in Illinois, only the 64 Illinois lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Completion year |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Mattoon, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1958 | 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 … |
| Lake Sara, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1957 | 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 … |
| Little Grassy Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1951 | 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 … |
| Crab Orchard Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1941 | Crab Orchard Lake is the largest of three reservoirs that are part of the 43,899-acre Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Williamson … |
| Lake Carlinville, IL (Central Illinois, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1939 | 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 … |
| Pistakee Lake (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1936 | 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 … |
| Long Lake, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1930 | 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 … |
| Wonder Lake (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1929 | 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 … |
| Lake Centralia, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, Southwest Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1910 | 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 … |
| Grass Lake, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1908 | Also known as Fox Chain O'Lakes Grass Lake is one of nine lakes linked by channels to form the Fox Chain O’Lakes in northern Illinois. The combination of lakes is the largest inland, … |
| Fox Chain O’Lakes, IL (Chicagoland Region, IL, Illinois, Northern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1907 | Also known as Fox Chain of Lakes, Channel Lake, Lake Catherine, Lake Marie, Bluff Lake, Petite Lake, Grass Lake, Fox Lake, Nippersink Lake, Pistakee Lake The Fox Chain O’Lakes is a collection of 15 navigable lakes on the Fox River, each with its own flavor. Called the “Key West of the Midwest,” the Chai … |