Lakes / Illinois / Richland County / East Fork Lake
East Fork Lake, Illinois
788.51 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - Illinois
38.76 degrees N, 88.06 degrees W - Richland 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 East Fork Lake Stacks Up
- Larger than 90% of the 511 lakes counted in Illinois.
- The largest lake in Richland County among those counted.
- About 95 miles from Carbondale, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olney Lake | Richland | 1.4 mi | 127.01 acres |
| Vernor Lake | Richland | 2.1 mi | 32.62 acres |
| Red Hills Lake | Lawrence | 12 mi | 35.74 acres |
| Salt Pond | Clay | 13 mi | 56.46 acres |
| Goose Pond | Wayne | 15 mi | 31.14 acres |
| Newton Lake | Jasper | 16 mi | 1,745.55 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About East Fork Lake
How Big Is East Fork Lake?
East Fork Lake covers 788.51 acres in Richland County, Illinois.
What Is the Largest Lake in Richland County?
East Fork Lake is the largest lake in Richland County, at 788.51 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 151832691). Verified October 30, 2026.