Anderson Lake (Illinois)

Anderson Lake is a freshwater lake located in Fulton County, Illinois.[1] It is 12.5 mi (20.1 km) southwest of Havana, Illinois.

Anderson Lake
Location of Anderson Lake in Illinois, USA.
Location of Anderson Lake in Illinois, USA.
Anderson Lake
Location of Anderson Lake in Illinois, USA.
Location of Anderson Lake in Illinois, USA.
Anderson Lake
LocationFulton County, Illinois
Coordinates40°11′59″N 90°11′05″W / 40.19972°N 90.18472°W / 40.19972; -90.18472
TypeFreshwater
Primary inflowsIllinois River
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area1,364 acres (552 ha)
Average depth3–5 ft (0.91–1.52 m)
Max. depth7 ft (2.1 m)
Shore length19.1 mi (14.6 km)
Surface elevation436 ft (133 m)
Islandsnone
SettlementsHavana
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Natural features

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This west floodplain lake receives overflow waters from the Illinois River.[2][3] The lake has a surface area of 1,134 acres (459 ha) with an average depth of 4 ft (1.2 m) and a maximum depth of 6 ft (1.8 m).[2] 9.1 mi (14.6 km) shore is surrounded by bottomland forest of silver maple, cottonwood, and willow trees.[3]

A levee constructed in 1980 separates Anderson Lake from Carlson Lake, a smaller 231 acres (93 ha) lake to the south that serves as a waterfowl refuge area.[2][3] Carlson Lake is drained in the spring to plant food for ducks, then flooded in the fall during migration season to attract waterfowl.[2]

Fish species include: black bullhead, bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, and largemouth bass.[3] Non-native species such as Asian carp, silver carp, and bighead carp are being monitored for their environmental impact.[3] Sedimentation, loss of water volume, and lack of aquatic plants create challenges for fish species management in Anderson Lake.[3]

References

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  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Anderson Lake
  2. ^ a b c d "Anderson Lake SFWA". dnr.illinois.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Lake Profile -- ANDERSON LAKE". www.ifishillinois.org. Retrieved 2023-10-14.