| Vandalia Lake | |
| Coordinates: | 39.0133°N -89.1414°W |
| Type: | Reservoir |
Vandalia Lake is a reservoir in Fayette County, Illinois. Served by Illinois Route 185 and by rural roads, it is 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of the small Illinois city of Vandalia. The city, which owns the lake for flood control and water-supply purposes, reports that it is 660 acres in size and has a shoreline of 12 miles in length. The lake has a marina, boat dock, campground, and beach.[1] Lake fishing specializes in stocked bass, including largemouth bass. The lake also offers channel catfish and bluegill.[2] Much of the shore of the lake has been developed as real estate.[3]
Water from Vandalia Lake is released into Bear Creek, a tributary of the Kaskaskia River. The lake is located in Shafter Township and Sharon Township, with a tiny fragment of the lake extending into Bear Grove Township.[3] At the time of Abraham Lincoln's service as a pioneer state legislator in the nearby Vandalia State House State Historic Site, a local population of black bears inspired the name of the creek and prairie grove. The bears have since disappeared.