Carlyle Lake, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Carlyle Lake will begin increasing water releases from the main dam on Friday, April 11, 2025. Releases will strategically be raised from 5,000 cubic feet of water per second (cfs) to about 10,000 cfs by Sunday, April 13, 2025. Increasing water releases will lower the pool elevation of Carlyle Lake, creating more capacity to store water from future rainfall events.
As of 11:00 am on Thursday, April 10, 2025, the pool elevation of Carlyle Lake was 451.91 feet, as referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD). Carlyle Lake is currently predicted to crest below 452 feet elevation on Saturday, April 12, 2025, which is about 7 feet above the normal summer pool of 445.00 feet elevation. More information and current conditions of water levels can be found on the St. Louis District Water Control website at www.mvs-wc.usace.army.mil/.
Recreation opportunities at Carlyle Lake will continue to be impacted by the high lake levels. For visitor safety, 11 campsites within Dam West Campground are closed until water recedes from the sites. Boulder Campground is still scheduled to open April 18, 2025. If water levels continue to remain high, any campers with reservations affected by high water closures will be notified immediately of cancellations through Recreation One Stop (www.recreation.gov). Several hunting and fishing access parking lots around the lake are closed, including Whitetail, Turkey Run, Grasher Creek, Tom Pigg, Steins, Eckert’s Woods, James Hawn, Bobwhite, and North Allen Branch. Fishing Piers at Lakeview, Keyesport, and Dam East are also currently closed. The multi-use trail below the spillway will be closed from flooding. Some township roads around the lake may also be inundated with water so motorists are urged to use caution when driving in low elevation areas and near tributaries. Please turn around, don’t drown.
Boat ramps around the lake are also currently inundated by elevated water levels. High-water ramps for launching boats are available at Dam West, Dam East, Coles Creek, Tamalco, Apache, and Boulder. High water levels have submerged some breakwaters and facilities so boaters should exercise caution when navigating near these or other underwater structures. Boaters are advised to wear life jackets and use engine cut-off devices properly for their safety, as floating logs and debris may be present.
For more information or updates on Carlyle Lake, please contact the Carlyle Lake Project Office at (618) 594-2484, follow our Facebook page @carlylelake, or email carlyle.lake@usace.army.mil.
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