Lakes / Illinois / Clinton County / Big Forked Lake
Big Forked Lake, Illinois
26.69 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - Illinois
38.48 degrees N, 89.48 degrees W - Clinton County. State and county outlines drawn from Census boundary data; the lake marker is placed by its USGS National Hydrography Dataset coordinates, not by eye. Schematic - not a survey map.
How Big Forked Lake Stacks Up
- Larger than 5% of the 511 lakes counted in Illinois.
- About 54 miles from Carbondale, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Lake | Clinton | 3.3 mi | 25.45 acres |
| Calamus Lake | Washington | 11 mi | 31.88 acres |
| Nashville City Reservoir | Washington | 11 mi | 43.98 acres |
| Washington County Lake | Washington | 15 mi | 287.14 acres |
| Carlyle Lake | Clinton | 19 mi | 22,796.77 acres |
| City Reservoir | Randolph | 21 mi | 33.36 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Big Forked Lake
How Big Is Big Forked Lake?
Big Forked Lake covers 26.69 acres in Clinton County, Illinois.
What Is the Largest Lake in Clinton County?
Carlyle Lake is the largest lake in Clinton County, at 22,796.77 acres.
Largest Lakes in Illinois
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlyle Lake | Clinton | 22,796.77 acres | - |
| 2 | Mine Number 21 Reservoir | Franklin | 17,062.04 acres | - |
| 3 | Upper Peoria Lake | Woodford | 15,460.64 acres | - |
| 4 | Lake Shelbyville | Shelby | 10,235.1 acres | - |
| 5 | Crab Orchard Lake | Williamson | 7,292.57 acres | - |
All 511 Illinois lakes ranked by surface area
Sources: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (The National Map) lake data (ID 155043465). Verified October 30, 2026.