Lake Lou Yaeger
Encyclopedia
Lake Lou Yaeger is a 1,300-acre (5.2 km²) reservoir
located in Montgomery County, Illinois. Created by damming the West Fork of Illinois's Shoal Creek
, it was built for recreation
, sport fishing
, and flood control
purposes. The lake is 8 miles (13 km) long and 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide. The nearest town is Litchfield, Illinois
, south of Springfield, Illinois
and north of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Lake Lou Yaeger is managed for bass
, bluegill
, catfish
, and crappie
. The fish yield is enjoyed by many species; bald eagle
s began to nest at the lake in 2005. Boaters enjoy the absence of both speed and power limits such as are enforced on many other lakes in central and southern Illinois. Visitors to the lake often arrive by means of Interstate 55
, which closely approaches the lake north of Litchfield.
The municipality of Litchfield operates the lake's largest park, the 266-acre (1.1 km²) Shoal Creek Conservation Area. The park contains patches of oak-hickory woodland and some patches of prairie
, locally called prairie "barrens." There are 1.15 miles (1.8 km) of trails for foot, bike, or horse use.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
located in Montgomery County, Illinois. Created by damming the West Fork of Illinois's Shoal Creek
Shoal Creek (Illinois)
Shoal Creek is a watercourse in the U.S. state of Illinois. It rises near Harvel, Illinois and, flowing southward through Lake Lou Yaeger, discharges into the Kaskaskia River near Okawville. It drains parts of Montgomery County, Bond County, and Clinton County. Shoal Creek is named for the many...
, it was built for recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
, sport fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
purposes. The lake is 8 miles (13 km) long and 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide. The nearest town is Litchfield, Illinois
Litchfield, Illinois
Litchfield is a city in Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,815 at the 2000 census, and 6,588 in 2009. It is located in south central Illinois, south of Springfield and on the northern edge of the Greater St. Louis Metro-East area.-Attractions:The Ariston Cafe is one of...
, south of Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
and north of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Lake Lou Yaeger is managed for bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, and crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
. The fish yield is enjoyed by many species; bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s began to nest at the lake in 2005. Boaters enjoy the absence of both speed and power limits such as are enforced on many other lakes in central and southern Illinois. Visitors to the lake often arrive by means of Interstate 55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
, which closely approaches the lake north of Litchfield.
The municipality of Litchfield operates the lake's largest park, the 266-acre (1.1 km²) Shoal Creek Conservation Area. The park contains patches of oak-hickory woodland and some patches of prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
, locally called prairie "barrens." There are 1.15 miles (1.8 km) of trails for foot, bike, or horse use.