Rend Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area
Location:Between Mount Vernon and Benton, just off I-57.
Facilities:Boat ramps. (Additional facilities are located at Wayne Fitzgerrell
State Park, which is also situated on Rend Lake. See separate entry for
details.)
Activities:Boating, fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing.
Special Features:Property is managed to provide valuable habitat for a variety of
animals and waterfowl, including great blue herons and many species of
shorebirds. The area's main attraction is Rend Lake, with 19 public
access areas, eight of which provide launching ramps. It was built as a
joint project of the Illinois Dept of Natural Resources, the Rend Lake
Conservancy District, and the US Corps of Engineers to provide a
dependable domestic water supply for the two-county area.
Address:10885 E Jefferson Rd
Bonnie, IL 62816
Phone:618-279-3110
Web: dnr.state.il.us/Lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R5/RENDLAKE/REND.HTM
Size: 20,000 acres land; 18,900 acres water.
See other parks in
Illinois.