Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

State park in Illinois, USA

37°07′50″N 89°19′59″W / 37.13056°N 89.33306°W / 37.13056; -89.33306Area10,200 acres (4,128 ha)Governing bodyIllinois Department of Natural Resources

Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is an Illinois state park on 10,200 acres (4,128 ha) in Alexander County, Illinois, United States.

Natural features

In April 1927, the Department of Conservation purchased 49 acres for development as a Canada goose sanctuary.^[1]^[2] Additional tracts of land were purchased to increase the size to today's 10,200 acres (4,128 ha). The topography is largely flat with shallow sloughs.^[3]

The Horseshoe Lake SFWA includes Horseshoe Lake.^[2]

Flora

Native southern hardwood forests and bald cypress, tupelo gum, swamp cottonwood, elm, and tulip poplar trees can be found in the area.^[1]^[2] Two large tracts have been dedicated as Illinois Nature Preserves and are used for scientific research and education.^[1] Common aquatic plants include buttonbush, lotus, duckweed, coontail, and water primrose.^[2]

Fauna

Canada goose can be found in the fall and winter seasons. Native mammals include white-tailed deer, red fox, gray fox, muskrat, beaver, fox squirrel, and gray squirrel.^[2] Reptiles include the cottonmouth snake, assorted water snakes, and various species of turtles.^[2] The lake contains fish such as carp, sucker, channel catfish, black bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie, bowfin, and gar.^[2]^[4]

Recreation

Four picnic areas with picnic tables and stoves are located around the park.^[1]

There are 38 Class A camping sites, 40 Class B/E camping sites, and 10 Class C sites available.^[1]

There are 4,190 acres (1,696 ha) available for hunting.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "About Horseshoe Lake Alexander County". dnr.illinois.gov. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Bogner, William C.; Fitzpatrick, William P.; Blakley, Donald S. (June 1, 1985). "SEDIMENTATION RATES IN HORSESHOE LAKE, ALEXANDER COUNTY, ILLINOIS" (PDF). Retrieved October 28, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Hunt Illinois". huntillinois.org. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
^ "Lake Profile -- HORSESHOE LAKE - ALEXANDER". www.ifishillinois.org. Retrieved October 29, 2023.

"Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area". Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on June 3, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
USGS. "Horseshoe Lake State Conservation Area, USGS Tamms (IL) Quad". TopoQuest. Retrieved July 5, 2008.

Protected areas of Illinois

Federal

National Historic Sites and Parks and national monument	Chicago Portage Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Lincoln Home New Philadelphia Pullman
National Forest	Shawnee
National Wildlife Refuges	Chautauqua Crab Orchard Cypress Creek Driftless Area Emiquon Great River Hackmatack Kankakee Mark Twain Meredosia Middle Mississippi River Port Louisa Two Rivers Upper Mississippi River
National Grassland	Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
National Trails/National Heritage Area	Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Illinois and Michigan Canal Lewis and Clark Mormon Pioneer Trail of Tears
National Natural Landmarks	List of National Natural Landmarks in Illinois
National Wild and Scenic Rivers	Middle Fork Vermilion River
Wetlands of international importance	Cache River-Cypress Creek The Emiquon Complex Dixon Waterfowl Refuge Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain (shared with Wisconsin) Upper Mississippi (shared)

State

State Parks	Apple River Argyle Lake Beall Woods Beaver Dam Buffalo Rock Castle Rock Cave-in-Rock Chain O'Lakes Channahon Delabar Dixon Springs Donnelley/Depue Ferne Clyffe Fort Massac Fox Ridge Gebhard Woods Giant City Hennepin Canal Parkway Horseshoe Lake Illini Illinois Beach James "Pate" Philip Jubilee College Kankakee River Lake Murphysboro Lincoln Trail Lowden Matthiessen Mississippi Palisades Moraine Hills Morrison-Rockwood Nauvoo Pere Marquette Red Hills Rock Cut Rock Island Trail Shabbona Lake Siloam Springs South Shore Starved Rock Walnut Point Weinberg-King White Pines Forest Wildlife Prairie William G. Stratton Wolf Creek
State Historic Sites	List of Illinois State Historic Sites (including, Cahokia World Heritage Site)
State Forests	Big River Hidden Springs Lowden-Miller Sand Ridge Trail of Tears
State Recreation Areas	Clinton Lake Eagle Creek Eldon Hazlet Frank Holten Golconda Marina Johnson-Sauk Trail Kickapoo Lake Le-Aqua-Na Moraine View North Point Marina Prophetstown Pyramid Ramsey Lake Randolph County Sangchris Lake Stephen A. Forbes Washington County Wayne Fitzgerrell Weldon Springs William W. Powers
State Fish and Wildlife Areas	Anderson Lake Baldwin Lake Banner Marsh Carlyle Lake Coffeen Lake Crawford County Des Plaines Double T Edward R. Madigan Green River Hamilton County Heidecke Lake Horseshoe Lake (Alexander County) Iroquois County Kaskaskia River Kinkaid Lake Kishwaukee River LaSalle Lake Mackinaw River Marshall Mautino Mazonia/Braidwood Mermet Lake Middle Fork Mississippi River Newton Lake Jim Edgar Panther Creek Peabody River Pekin Lake Powerton Lake Ray Norbut Rend Lake Rice Lake Sahara Woods Saline County Sam Dale Lake Sam Parr Sanganois Shelbyville Silver Springs Snakeden Hollow Spring Lake Ten Mile Creek Turkey Bluffs Union County Woodford
State Natural Areas	Cache River Franklin Creek Fults Hill Prairie Goose Lake Prairie Harry "Babe" Woodyard Illinois Caverns Kidd Lake Piney Creek Ravine Prairie Ridge Revis Hill Prairie Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak Sielbeck Forest Spitler Woods Volo Bog
State Trails	Mormon Trail Trail of Tears Tunnel Hill