Lakes / Illinois / Clay County / Patterson Lake
Patterson Lake, Illinois
28.91 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - Illinois
38.87 degrees N, 88.68 degrees W - Clay 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 Patterson Lake Stacks Up
- Larger than 9% of the 511 lakes counted in Illinois.
- About 81 miles from Springfield, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forbes Lake | Marion | 11 mi | 523.37 acres |
| Altamont Reservoir | Effingham | 11 mi | 42.26 acres |
| Lake Nellie | Fayette | 15 mi | 54.08 acres |
| Greendale Lake | Clay | 15 mi | 43.49 acres |
| Lake Sara | Effingham | 18 mi | 553.02 acres |
| Lake Pauline | Effingham | 20 mi | 34.1 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Patterson Lake
How Big Is Patterson Lake?
Patterson Lake covers 28.91 acres in Clay County, Illinois.
What Is the Largest Lake in Clay County?
Salt Pond is the largest lake in Clay County, at 56.46 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 151831858). Verified October 30, 2026.