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Elizabeth Lake, Illinois & Wisconsin, USA

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 Illinois and the Lake Michigan Region of Wisconsin, Elizabeth Lake is one of a pair of lakes along the Illinois-Wisconsin border that are often referred to as Twin Lakes. The two glacial pothole lakes are separated by a narrow finger of land with a – READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Welcome to the ultimate guide to Elizabeth Lake! Article topics include:

Looking for Elizabeth Lake cabins or other accommodations? Save time and use this interactive map to find, compare and book at the best rates. Or explore more of our favorite travel partners.

Welcome to the ultimate guide to Elizabeth Lake! Article topics include:

Looking for Elizabeth Lake cabins or other accommodations? Save time and use this interactive map to find, compare and book at the best rates. Or explore more of our favorite travel partners.

All About Elizabeth Lake

Lake Locations: USA - Midwest - Illinois - Northern - Wisconsin - Lake Michigan Region -

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 Illinois and the Lake Michigan Region of Wisconsin, Elizabeth Lake is one of a pair of lakes along the Illinois-Wisconsin border that are often referred to as Twin Lakes. The two glacial pothole lakes are separated by a narrow finger of land with a short stretch of waterway connecting them. The twin lakes were named for the twin daughters of one of the earliest settles to the region: Elizabeth and Mary Ineson. It is unknown what the lakes were called earlier but the first large hotel — Akerman’s Resort — was built in 1835 before they were born.

The area around Elizabeth Lake was popular with summer visitors from Milwaukee and Chicago. By the 1850s, ice was being harvested on Elizabeth Lake. More large hotels were built through 1920, when Wisconsin’s largest ballroom, known as the Twin Lakes Ball Room, was erected. The Village of Twin Lake was finally incorporated in 1937. The popularity of the lakes continued unabated through and beyond the era of the big resort hotel. Summer residences were built along the shores and generations of families returned each year to swim, fish and boat on the waters of Elizabeth Lake.

Today, two-thirds of the residences are year-round homes, and some old hotel properties have given way to condos. Twin Lakes has matured into a pleasant but modern village complete with all the necessary city services. The people of Twin Lakes are committed to preserving both their lakes and their vibrant community. As evidence of the cross-boarder cooperation common in the area, the Wisconsin town of Twin Lakes owns access to the small Elizabeth Lake dam located in the Illinois town of Richmond. Intended only to maintain lake levels, the dam keeps levels within an 11-inch range year round.

All types of water sports can be engaged in on Elizabeth Lake. The large lake lends itself to water skiing, tubing, sailing and jet skiing as well as canoeing, kayaking, pontooning, wake boarding and swimming.The south end of the lake is a strict no-wake zone to protect the excellent bog areas of Elizabeth Lake Nature Preserve.

Known as an excellent fishing destination, the Elizabeth Lake fishery contains a variety of game fish. It is especially known for great catches of northern pike, bluegill and largemouth bass. Walleye, crappie and smallmouth bass are also caught. There is a public boat ramp on the west side of the lake and boat rentals are available nearby. Pontoon boats can also be rented by the day for a more leisurely cruise and are an excellent way to take children on their first fishing excursion. As a precautionary measure, those planning to eat their catch should check the Wisconsin Fish Consumption Guidelines.

The lakeshore of Elizabeth Lake is quite heavily developed on the Wisconsin portion. Nearly all residential properties are located on the Wisconsin side of the state line; much of the Illinois side is State land in the form of Elizabeth Lake Nature Preserve. The Preserve is a diverse wetland composed of calcareous floating mat, marsh, pond, graminoid fen, graminoid bog, lake, low gradient creek, sedge meadow, and dry-mesic savanna. Graminoid bog is a rare natural community, considered to be the first stage in bog succession. Always floating above water and often in the vicinity of more open waters, this type of bog is dominated by sphagnum moss, sedges, and marsh shield fen. Access to the preserve is restricted to tours sponsored by the McHenry County Conservation District to protect the varied and rare plants, birds and butterflies. Endangered or rare cuckoo flowers, pugnose shiners, Iowa darters, sandhill cranes, and black terns can all be found within the nature preserve. Considered to be the highest quality lake in McHenry County IL, Elizabeth Lake has 29 species of native fish, at least 200 species of plant life, 55 species of birds, 15-20 butterfly species, and 20 state endangered or threatened species. Because the wake from high-speed boats can cause great damage to the floating bog, the no-wake areas are strictly enforced.

Off-lake activities are plentiful around Elizabeth Lake and the Village of Twin Lakes. Wednesdays and Saturdays the Aquanuts, a troupe of local water-skiers, put on a free show on Lake Mary. The Country Thunder Music Festival is held here annually, with several days of camping and nationally-known music stars. Several excellent golf courses are located nearby. Five village parks provide a basketball court, baseball diamond, playground equipment, sledding, tennis courts, skateboarding, walking trails, boat launch and restrooms. The village holds regular festival events and parades centered around holidays for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.

In winter, ice fishing and snowmobiling are popular activities. Local clubs maintain groomed trails for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Several eating establishments around the lakes soon make visitors feel like ‘regulars’, as do the local pubs. Less than 15 miles northeast of Twin Lakes, Bong State Recreation Area offers hiking trails, fishing, hunting and interpretive guides. South of Elizabeth Lake, the 26-mile Prairie Trail can be accessed at Richmond, IL. The trail is popular for mountain biking and hiking. Twenty-five miles east, Kenosha sports a greyhound racetrack, Lake Michigan beach, museums, parks and a community college. Downtown Chicago is only 70 miles away, making Elizabeth Lake an idea spot for a weekend getaway.

Vacation rentals abound around the Twin Lakes. From cottages and cabins to large residential homes, hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, condos and campgrounds, the ideal lodgings for your visit can be easily found here. Real estate is always available, often lakefront or with lake views. So, pack up the kids, the boat and maybe even the cousins; Elizabeth Lake is waiting for your visit. Come up to Twin Lakes and see what you’ve been missing.

Things to Do at Elizabeth Lake

  • Vacation Rentals
  • Fishing
  • Ice Fishing
  • Boating
  • Sailing
  • Swimming
  • Beach
  • Canoeing
  • Kayaking
  • Jet Skiing
  • Water Skiing
  • Wakeboarding
  • Tubing
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • Camping
  • Campground
  • Cabin Rentals
  • Hiking
  • Biking
  • Cross-Country Skiing
  • Snowmobiling
  • Hunting
  • Birding
  • Museum
  • Playground

Fish Species Found at Elizabeth Lake

  • Bass
  • Black Bass
  • Bluegill
  • Carp
  • Crappie
  • Darter
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Northern Pike
  • Perch
  • Pike
  • Smallmouth Bass
  • Sunfish
  • Walleye

All About Elizabeth Lake

Best hotels and vacation rentals at Elizabeth Lake

The Elizabeth Lake map shown above is a simple and stress-free way to search for trip accommodations. But if you want to take a deeper dive to find the ideal waterfront home, cabin, condo, hotel or resort, visit our favorite lodging partners by clicking the buttons below.

Search Tripadvisor
Search VRBO
Search Booking.com

Note: These are affiliate links so we may earn a small commission if you book through them. While there is no extra cost to you, it helps provide resources to keep our site running (thank you)! You can read our full disclosure policy here.

More Ways to Book a Elizabeth Lake Vacation

While our interactive map above is perfect for comparing LAKENAME rental homes (with VRBO) and nearby hotels (with Booking.com), there might be times when you need to expand your search with a different type of accommodation. Here are some other LAKNAME lodging partners you might want to explore:

Check TripAdvisor
Explore RV Rentals
Find a Campspot
View All Resources

Note: These are affiliate links and we may earn a small commission. Read our full disclosure policy here.

More Sites to Book a Elizabeth Lake Vacation

Our interactive lodging map shown above is perfect for comparing LAKENAME VRBO rental homes and nearby Booking.com hotels, there are times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodation. Here are some other LAKNAME lodging partners you can explore:

Check TripAdvisor
Explore RV Rentals
Find a Campspot
View All Resources

Note: These are affiliate links and we may earn a small commission. Read our disclosure policy here.

More Sites to Book a Elizabeth Lake Vacation

Our interactive lodging map shown above is perfect for comparing LAKENAME VRBO rental homes and nearby Booking.com hotels, there are times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodation. Here are some other LAKNAME lodging partners you can explore:

Check TripAdvisor
Explore RV Rentals
Find a Campspot
View All Resources

Note: These are affiliate links and we may earn a small commission. Read our disclosure policy here.

Recommended Sites to Book a Elizabeth Lake Vacation

If you want to take a deeper dive to find waterfront lake cabins, cottages, condos, hotels or resorts, check out our favorite Elizabeth Lake lodging partners.

  • VRBO – Use VRBO to find the perfect lake rental home, condo, cabin, cottage or other vacation property.
  • Booking.com – One of the world’s leading digital travel companies, Booking.com connects travelers to everything from cozy B&Bs to luxury resorts.
  • Expedia – Expedia is a popular online travel agency with more than 140,000 lodging properties worldwide.
  • Hotels.com – With more than 325,000 hotels in 19,000-plus locations, Hotels.com is an industry leader in online accommodations.
  • TripAdvisor – Read traveler reviews and compare prices on hotels, vacation rentals and more at TripAdvisor.
  • Trivago – Trivago helps travelers compare deals for hotels and other accommodations from a variety of booking sites.
  • KAYAK – KAYAK scours hundreds of other travel websites at once to find the best deals on hotels and other travel-related services.
  • RVshare –RVshare connects travelers interested in renting a motorhome with owners who have RVs to rent.
  • CampSpot – Campspot offers premier RV resorts, family campgrounds, cabins and glamping options across North America.
ALL TRAVEL RESOURCES

Note: These are affiliate links so we may earn a small commission if you book through them. While there is no extra cost to you, it helps provide resources to keep our site running (thank you)! You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Elizabeth Lake Photo Gallery

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Elizabeth Lake Statistics & Helpful Links

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Lake Type: Natural Freshwater Lake, Dammed

Water Level Control: Twin Lakes Sewer Dept

Surface Area: 638 acres

Shoreline Length: 6 miles

Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 793 feet

Minimum Elevation (Min Pond): 793 feet

Maximum Elevation (Max Pond): 794 feet

Average Depth: 17 feet

Maximum Depth: 32 feet

Water Volume: 6,900 acre-feet

Trophic State: Mesotrophic

Elizabeth Lake Map
Lake Water Level
Weather Forecast

We strive to keep the information on LakeLubbers as accurate as possible. However, if you’ve found something in this article that needs updating, we’d certainly love to hear from you! Please fill out our Content Correction form.

More Elizabeth Lake news from LakeLubbers.com

  • Advertise your vacation rental property or local business: DETAILS HERE
  • The Elizabeth Lake forum has been discontinued: HERE’S WHY
  • New Elizabeth Lake photos coming soon!
  • You’re invited to join our lake-lovin’ community on Facebook and Instagram!
  • Share this Elizabeth Lake article with your fellow LakeLubbers:

Do you have a vacation rental property at Elizabeth Lake? Coming in 2022, LakeLubbers will have an opportunity for you to showcase your listing and put it in front of thousands of lake lovers searching our site for homes, condos or townhomes to rent for their upcoming lake trip this season.

Please get in touch with our advertising team HERE and we’ll provide you more details on this upcoming advertising opportunity.

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Looking for the Elizabeth Lake forum?

LakeLubbers previously offered visitors the ability to create accounts and participate in lake forums. When we overhauled the site’s content management system in 2021 we had to disable those features. We’re evaluating options and welcome your comments and feedback here.

We also encourage you to join our lake-lovin’ community on Facebook and Instagram!

Click here to advertise your Elizabeth Lake vacation rental or local business.

The former Elizabeth Lake forum is closed. Find out why here.

New Elizabeth Lake photo gallery is coming soon.

Please share this article with your fellow lake lovers!

Spread the word! Share our Elizabeth Lake article with your fellow Lake Lubbers!

Explore local Elizabeth Lake vacation rentals and hotel accommodations using our interactive map. Clicking on listings below will allow you to compare nearby properties, best rates and availability for your dates.

Looking for the old Elizabeth Lake forum group? Click Here

New Elizabeth Lake photos coming soon!

Vacation Home Name

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  • 2 bedrooms
  • 2 bathrooms
  • hot tub
  • wifi