Lakes / Illinois / Coles County / Lake Charleston
Lake Charleston, Illinois
335.57 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - Illinois
39.47 degrees N, 88.15 degrees W - Coles 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 Lake Charleston Stacks Up
- Larger than 84% of the 511 lakes counted in Illinois.
- The largest lake in Coles County among those counted.
- About 83 miles from Springfield, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Oakland | Coles | 15 mi | 32.87 acres |
| Lake Paradise | Coles | 16 mi | 173.96 acres |
| Walnut Point State Park Lake | Douglas | 17 mi | 56.34 acres |
| Lake Mattoon | Cumberland | 19 mi | 907.62 acres |
| Mill Creek Watershed Impoundment Reservoir | Clark | 22 mi | 51.34 acres |
| Mill Creek Watershed Impoundment Reservoir | Clark | 22 mi | 56.44 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Lake Charleston
How Big Is Lake Charleston?
Lake Charleston covers 335.57 acres in Coles County, Illinois.
What Is the Largest Lake in Coles County?
Lake Charleston is the largest lake in Coles County, at 335.57 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 155208419). Verified October 30, 2026.