Seven Wonders of Illinois: Rend Lake

Rend Lake has a rather interesting history. It was constructed as a joint project that involved the Illinois Department of Conservation, the Rend Lake Conservancy District, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The 18,000-acre Rend Lake reservoir was built in 1965, with the mission of providing a dependable domestic water supply to a two-county area. The $60 million Rend Lake project had its beginings in 1965, and was completed in 1970. Since then, some impressive improvements have been made added to Rend Lake. Today, the marinas, boating, water skiing, campsites, nature trails, golf, picnicking, swimming, fishing, and hunting areas make Rend Lake a popular Southern Illinois vacation destination.

Because of its distinction as a relatively shallow reservoir, Rend Lake fishing is a popular activity in the area. A Rend Lake fishing trip gives you the opportunity to catch an abundance of large crappie and channel catfish, as well as other fish species that are indigenous to Southern Illinois. In general, white bass Rend Lake fishing will start in late March. This is when the fish begin to congregate along the rock the small tributary streams in order to spawn. After the fish lay their eggs, the white bass return to the lake and can be caught in May and early June.

The Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center is the perfect lodging venue for your Rend Lake Fishing experience. It is located in Wayne Fitzgerell State Park, in beautiful Southern Illinois. The Rend Lake Resort offers Rend Lake cabins along the lake. You can experience Rend Lake fishing right from the deck of the cabins on Rend Lake! These boatel cabins on Rend Lake overlook the water, and can be reached by boat or car.

There are a multitude of other activities that can be enjoyed at Rend Lake Illinois. The Rend Lake Golf Course is proud of its reputation of being one of the very best golf courses in the Midwest. There are also a number of places where you can explore Illinois history. For example, the Old Franklin County Jail Museum is a Georgian Revival Architecture building. Many Civil War exhibits are on display.

Barzilla Silkwood built the Silkwood Inn Museum in Rend Lake Illinois in 1827. At one time, it was a private residence for the Silkwood family who lived with their 16-orphaned children. This historic two-story Inn was also a popular resting point for travelers along the historic Shawneetown-Kaskaskia trail. The restored inn is now a museum that gives insight into life in rural Southern Illinois in the 1800's.

Whether you are interested in an active vacation, or a chance to explore the history of rural Southern Illinois, a visit to Rend Lake Illinois will be an enjoyable experience.