Carlyle Lake was completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1966.  It was formed by damming the Kaskaskia River near Carlyle.  It is the largest manmade lake within Illinois.  The lake is 26,000 acres in size with a shoreline of approximately 82 miles.  It is 3.4 to 4 miles wide and about 15 miles long.  Maximum depth is 35 feet, with an average depth of 11 feet.  The land bordering the lake is flat to gently rolling with partially timbered shoreline.  Carlyle Lake is a typical open lake subject to changes in wind velocity or direction.
     The lake becomes chemically and thermally stratified during the summer months.  This is typical of most Illinois lakes.  Generally, from mid-June to September, the dissolved oxygen level becomes quite low or non-existent below 12 feet.  Thus, summertime anglers should avoid fishing below this level as few fish are found there during this period.
     Winters are occasionally cold enough to put a solid ice cover over the entire lake and when this does occur, some fair to good ice fishing can be enjoyed in the upper portion of the lake.

Upper Lake Area

     Division between upper and lower parts of the lake is formed by the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks which span the water from the towns of Keyesport to Boulder.  The upper area (approximately one-third of the lake) offers some of the best crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, bullhead, and channel catfish angling found in the lake.  This portion of the lake is quite shallow (eight feet or less) with an average depth of about three feet.  For the benefit of fishermen and waterfowl hunters, all timber and brush was left standing when the lake filled.  Carlyle Lake is also dotted with numerous islands and sand ridges.  Besides the inflowing Kaskaskia river, this area has a number of tributaries (Hurricane, Bear, Maggot, East Fork and North Fork Creeks) which offer fine fishing.  Two public access areas, Tamalco on the west and patoka on the east, provide quick and easy entry to the upper lake.

Lower Lake Area

     Below the railroad tracks, (the lower two-thirds) the lake is quite open except for some timber left standing in the three major bays.  The prime fishing bays of the lower lake include West Branch, Burnside Bay, Allen, Peppenhorst, Bond Branch, and Coles, Gibbes and Brewster Creeks.  Access areas to this part of the lake includeWest Access near Carlyle, South Shore State park, Coles Creek on the east, Eldon Hazlet State Park on the west, and Keyesport Access and Boulder Access.  Some of the better fishing spots are the bays, river and creek channels, points, and around the islands.  Good crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass, drum, bluegill and white bass fishing can be found in the lower portion of the lake.

Spillway

     The East and West Spillway Access Areas are directly below the Carlyle Lake dam.  Another fisherman access area is east of the Kaskaskia River bridge, north of U.S. 50.  This site provides easy access to the Kaskaskia River and the old river bed.