Clinton Lake is a
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
located near
Clinton, Illinois
Clinton is the largest city in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,225 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt County.
The city and the county are named for DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York, 1817–182 ...
. The lake is a part of the
Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, which encompasses . It was built in the 1970s as a cooling source for the
Clinton Nuclear Generating Station
The Clinton Power Station is a nuclear power plant located near Clinton, Illinois, USA. The power station began commercial operation on November 24, 1987 and has a nominal net electric output of 1062 MWe. Due to inflation and cost overr ...
. The lake opened in 1978.
Boating power is unrestricted on the main body of the lake; the upper arm of the lake is reserved as a no-wake area, and some limited areas are reserved for electric
trolling motor
A trolling motor is a self-contained marine propulsion unit that includes an electric motor, propeller and control system, and is affixed to an angler's boat, either at the bow or stern. A gasoline-powered outboard used in trolling, if it is no ...
s. There are six boat launches on the lake, as well as one canoe launch. There is also a long sand beach on the lake which is open from
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
to
Labor Day
Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...
; the beach includes a swimming area which is
buoy
A buoy () is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents.
Types
Navigational buoys
* Race course marker buoys are used for buoy racing, the most prevalent form of yac ...
ed off from the rest of the lake. Clinton Lake is a good lake for catfish and other
game fish
Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commerciall ...
. Other activities at Clinton Lake include camping, boating, swimming, water skiing, hiking trails, picnicking, hunting, and winter sports
The various access and public use areas around Clinton Lake are collectively known as Clinton Lake State Recreation Area. Although fishing and other water sport activities have been the predominant attraction at this site, a variety of other recreational activities are provided as well. Hunting (by permit only), camping, picnicking, hiking and cross country ski facilities are also available. Snowmobiling is allowed if conditions are favorable. Horse owners may also make use of an equestrian trail.
Clinton Lake is less than a 4-hour drive from Chicago and St. Louis. It is approximately 30 miles from, and centrally located between, the cities of Champaign, Bloomington, Decatur and Lincoln. Access from the north or south is facilitated by Interstates 57 and 55 as well as U.S. 51, which passes within 10 miles of the lake. Interstates 72 and 74 provide access from the east or west. Illinois Route 10, 54 and 48 provide a direct route to the lake.
The sport fish community of Clinton Lake is composed of fishes common to central Illinois reservoirs:
largemouth bass
The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...
,
bluegill
The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...
,
white crappie
The white crappie (''Pomoxis annularis'') is a freshwater fish found in North America, one of the two species of crappies. Alternate common names for the species include goldring and silver perch. is named for the fish. The genus name ''Pomoxis ...
,
black crappie
The black crappie (''Pomoxis nigromaculatus'') is a freshwater fish found in North America, one of the two types of crappies. It is very similar to the white crappie in size, shape, and habits, except that it is darker, with a pattern of black sp ...
,
channel catfish
The channel catfish (''Ictalurus punctatus'') is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States, the ...
, bullheads,
flathead catfish
The flathead catfish (''Pylodictis olivaris''), also called by several common names including mudcat or shovelhead cat, is a large species of North American freshwater catfish in the family Ictaluridae. It is the only species of the genus ''P ...
,
walleye
The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relat ...
,
striped bass
The striped bass (''Morone saxatilis''), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has al ...
, and
hybrid striped bass
A hybrid striped bass, also known as a wiper or whiterock bass, is a hybrid between the striped bass (''Morone saxatilis'') and the white bass (''M. chrysops''). It can be distinguished from the striped bass by broken rather than solid horizonta ...
.
The Marina is located on the south shoreline of the Salt Creek area of Clinton Lake, between the towns of Lane and Weldon, and is accessible from Illinois Route 10 or DeWitt County Highway 14.
The Clinton Lake Sailing Association conducts sailing instruction and events from their facility near the marina.
The
University of Illinois's Rowing Team practices and hosts races on Clinton Lake. In 2016, they built the Clinton Lake Rowing Center at the north-eastern tip of the lake near
Farmer City. During the spring they have a six-lane race course set up on the lake.
References
External links
Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesClinton Lake MarinaClinton Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau
{{authority control
Protected areas of DeWitt County, Illinois
Reservoirs in Illinois
Bodies of water of DeWitt County, Illinois
1978 establishments in Illinois