List of Illinois Public Bodies of Water
The following public bodies of water were navigable in their
natural condition or were improved for navigation and opened to
public use. The entire length and surface area in Illinois,
including all backwater lakes and sloughs open to the main
channel or body of water at normal flows or stages, are open to
the public unless limited to a head of navigation as stated.
Head of navigation descriptions use the U.S. rectangular survey
system and these abbreviations: T = township, R = range, PM =
principal meridian, Sec. = section, 1/4 = quarter section, N =
north, E = east, S = south, W = west,
USGS = U.S. Geological Survey.
1) Lake Michigan;
2) Chicago River: Main Branch;
3) Chicago River: North Branch to North Shore
Channel;
4) Chicago River: South Branch;
5) Chicago River: South Fork of South Branch;
6) Chicago River: East and West Arms of South Fork of
South Branch;
7) Chicago River: West Fork of South Branch to
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal;
8) Calumet River;
9) Lake Calumet and entrance channel to Calumet
River;
10) Grand Calumet River;
11) Little Calumet River;
12) Wolf Lake (Cook County);
13) Mississippi River (including all backwater lakes
such as Frentress Lake in Jo Daviess County,
Boston Bay in Mercer County and Quincy Bay in
Adams County);
14) Sinsiniwa River to North Line of Sec. 9, T28N,
R1W, 4th PM in Jo Daviess County, which is located
approximately two-thirds mile downstream from the
U.S. Highway 20 bridge. This area is shown on the
Galena, Ill.-Iowa, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
15) Galena River to East Line of Sec. 6, T28N, R1E,
4th PM in Jo Daviess County, which is located
approximately one-half mile upstream from the
County Highway 67 bridge. This area is shown on
the Galena, Ill.-Iowa, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle
map;
16) Apple River to North Line of Sec. 35, T26N, R2E,
4th PM in Jo Daviess County;
17) Plum River to North Line, T24N, R3E, 4th PM in
Carroll County, which is located approximately one
and one-half miles upstream from the U.S. Highway
52 bridge. This area is shown on the Savanna,
Ill., 15 minute USGS quadrangle map;
18) Rock River;
19) Pecatonica River;
20) Sugar River (Winnebago County);
21) Stillman Creek to South Line, T25N, R11E, 4th PM
in Ogle County, which is located approximately
one-third mile downstream from the Illinois
Highway 72 bridge. This area is shown on the
Stillman Valley, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
22) Henderson Creek (new channel) to East Line, SW
1/4, Sec. 6, T10N, R5W, 4th PM in Henderson
County. The river has been relocated and the old
channel abandoned;
23) The Sny in Adams, Pike and Calhoun Counties. The
area has been drained with levees and ditches and
it is uncertain that any descendent body of water
exists;
24) Bay Creek to West Line, Sec. 29, T8S, R3W, 4th PM
in Calhoun County. The head of navigation is the
limit of meanders on the official plat of survey;
but it is uncertain that any descendent body of
water exists;
25) Illinois River (including all backwater lakes such
as Peoria Lake in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford
Counties; Matanzas Bay in Mason County; and
Meredosia Lake in Cass and Morgan Counties);
26) Des Plaines River to Hoffman Dam in Cook County,
which is located one-half mile downstream from the
junction with Salt Creek. This area is shown on
the Berwyn, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
27) Kankakee River;
28) Iroquois River to South Line, SW 1/4, Sec. 30,
T27N, R12W, 2nd PM in Iroquois County, which is
located approximately one mile downstream from the
junction with Sugar Creek. This area is shown on
the Gilman, 15 minute USGS quadrangle;
29) Fox River (Illinois River Basin);
30) Griswold Lake (McHenry County);
31) Fox Chain-O-Lakes (Lake and McHenry Counties):
Bluff Lake, Lake Catherine, Channel Lake, Fox
Lake, Grass Lake, Lake Marie, Nippersink Lake,
Dunns Lake, Pistakee Lake, Lake Jerilyn, Lac
Louette, Redhead Lake;
32) Vermilion River (Illinois River Basin) to
approximately one-half mile above the mouth near
Oglesby in LaSalle County;
33) Spring Lake (Tazewell County);
34) Spoon River to North Line, Sec. 24, T6N, R1E, 4th
PM in Fulton County, which is located
approximately one-half mile upstream from the
Illinois Highway 95 bridge. This area is shown on
the Smithfield, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
35) Sangamon River to South Line, NE 1/4, Sec. 1,
T15N, R4W, 3rd PM in Sangamon County, which is
located approximately one mile south of the
Mechanicsburg Road bridge. This area is shown on
the Mechanicsburg, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
36) Sangamon River: South Fork to South Line, Sec. 33,
T16N, R4W, 3rd PM in Sangamon County, which is
located approximately two miles upstream from the
mouth. This area is shown on the Springfield-
East, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
37) Macoupin Creek to East Line, Sec. 25, T9N, R13W,
3rd PM in Green and Jersey Counties, which is
located approximately one mile downstream from the
junction with Boyer Creek. This area is shown on
the Boyer Creek, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
38) Otter Creek to East Line of Sec. 3, T7N, R13W, 3rd
PM in Jersey County, which is located
approximately two miles east of the Illinois
Highway 100 bridge. This area is shown on the
Nutwood, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
39) Kaskaskia River to East Line, SW 1/4, Sec. 31,
T8N, R2E, 3rd PM, which is located nine miles
south and two miles west of Herrick. This area is
shown on the Vera, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
40) Big Muddy River to East Line T8S, R2W, 3rd PM in
Jackson County, which is located approximately one
mile northwest of the Southern Illinois Airport.
This area is shown on the Murphysboro, 7.5 minute
USGS quadrangle map;
41) Ohio River;
42) Wabash River;
43) Vermilion River (Wabash River Basin) to West Line,
T19N, R11W, 2nd PM in Vermilion County, which is
located approximately one mile upstream from the
junction with the North Fork. This area is shown
on the Danville, SW, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle
map;
44) Little Wabash River to the Illinois Highway 1
bridge in Carmi in White County;
45) Saline River to junction of North Fork and South
Fork;
46) Saline River: North Fork to North Line, Sec. 5,
T8S, R8E, 3rd PM in Gallatin County, which is
located approximately three miles south of the
junction of Illinois Highway 141 and U.S. Highway
45. This area is shown on the Ridgway, 7.5 minute
USGS quadrangle map;
47) Saline River: South Fork to West Line, T9S, R8E,
3rd PM in Gallatin County, which is located at the
Gallatin-Saline County line. This area is shown on
the Equality, 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle map;
48) Horseshoe Lake (Alexander County).
The following public bodies of water are primarily artificial
navigable waters that were opened to public use.
1) Illinois and Michigan Canal;
2) Illinois and Mississippi (Hennepin) Canal and
Canal Feeder;
3) North Shore Channel (Cook County);
4) North Branch Canal of North Branch Chicago River
(Cook County);
5) Relocated South Branch Chicago River (Cook
County);
6) Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal;
7) Calumet Sag Channel;
8) Marseilles Canal (LaSalle County);
9) Chain of Rocks Canal (Madison County);
10) Relocated Kaskaskia River.
The following public bodies of water are navigable waters that
were dedicated to public use. This list is incomplete. It is
believed there are numerous channels and slips in subdivisions on
the margins of public bodies of water which have been dedicated
by plat. Additional channels and slips have been dedicated by
common law.
1) Petite Lake, Spring Lake and connecting channels
between Bluff Lake and Fox Lake in Lake County.
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