Lakes / Illinois / Wayne County / Sam Dale Lake
Sam Dale Lake, Illinois
209.79 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - Illinois
38.54 degrees N, 88.58 degrees W - Wayne 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 Sam Dale Lake Stacks Up
- Larger than 77% of the 511 lakes counted in Illinois.
- The largest lake in Wayne County among those counted.
- About 66 miles from Carbondale, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greendale Lake | Clay | 9.9 mi | 43.49 acres |
| Forbes Lake | Marion | 16 mi | 523.37 acres |
| Robinson Lake | Wayne | 17 mi | 33.36 acres |
| Illinois Central Reservoir | Jefferson | 18 mi | 91.43 acres |
| Burkitt-Laws Lake | Wayne | 19 mi | 27.18 acres |
| Miller Lake | Jefferson | 19 mi | 81.54 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Sam Dale Lake
How Big Is Sam Dale Lake?
Sam Dale Lake covers 209.79 acres in Wayne County, Illinois.
What Is the Largest Lake in Wayne County?
Sam Dale Lake is the largest lake in Wayne County, at 209.79 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 149784148). Verified October 30, 2026.