Newest reservoirs in Southern 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 10 articles we have published for Southern Illinois lakes.Thinking about booking a Southern Illinois lake vacation home rental, cabin or hotel?
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Illinois > Southern Illinois > Compared by newest (youngest) reservoirs and the year it was completed. This list does not represent all lakes in Southern Illinois, only the 10 Southern Illinois lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Completion year |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Rend Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1973 | Rend Lake, located in southern Illinois, is a fantastic place to enjoy all sorts of outdoor recreational activities. This reservoir, the second larges… |
| Kinkaid Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1972 | Kinkaid Lake is a scenic 2,350-acre reservoir surrounded by sandstone bluffs and rolling hills of oaks and hickories on the edge of the Shawnee Nation… |
| East Fork Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1970 | 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… |
| Forbes Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1963 | 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 of Egypt, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1962 | She settles herself into the kayak and pushes away from the shore. The small boat cuts through the fog rising from the surface of the lake, and she tu… |
| Devils Kitchen Lake, IL (Illinois, Southern Illinois, US Midwest Region, USA) |
1959 | 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… |
| 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 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… |