Lake Springfield

Lake Springfield
Bay Island on Island Bay in Lake Springfield
Lake Springfield Show map of Illinois Lake Springfield Show map of the United States
Location	Springfield, Illinois
Coordinates	39°45′34″N 089°36′01″W / 39.75944°N 89.60028°W / 39.75944; -89.60028
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Lick Creek, Sugar Creek
Primary outflows	Sugar Creek
Catchment area	265 sq mi (690 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	3,965 acres (16.05 km2)
Max. depth	27 feet (8.2 m)
Water volume	17,500,000,000 US gal (0.066 km3)
Shore length1	57 mi (92 km)
Surface elevation	560 ft (170 m)
Settlements	Springfield
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Springfield is a 3,965-acre (16.05 km²)^[1] reservoir on the southeast edge of the city of Springfield, Illinois. It is 560 ft (170 m) above sea level. The lake was formed by building Spaulding Dam across Sugar Creek, a tributary of the Sangamon River. It is the largest municipally-owned body of water in Illinois.^[1] The lake and the lands adjoining it are all owned by City Water, Light & Power, the municipal utility for the city of Springfield, which operates the Dallman Power Plant at the lake's north end. Multiple city parks border its shores.

The lake is crossed by several bridges, including the Interstate 55 bridge. Its principal tributaries are Sugar Creek and Lick Creek, and its waters discharge through Spaulding Dam to the lower Sugar Creek valley, which flows into the Sangamon River.

The lake was created in the 1930s as a source of water for Springfield and to provide cooling water for the City Water, Light & Power coal-fired electrical generating plant. It has also served as a focus of local recreation. High-powered motor boats are allowed on much of the lake, and the lake is known for warm-water fish.