This Inland Lake is the Deepest Illinois, How Deep is it?

Of course, everyone knows Lake Michigan is the deepest lake connected to Illinois, but did you know we have inland lakes that are relatively deep, too?

With summer rapidly approaching, we all hop on our boats or beg someone with a boat to take us on the water.

We have the Rock River in Rockford, and while that can be a lot of fun, it is not the state's deepest inland body of water.

The Rock River is quite shallow. Its deepest portion, about 50 feet deep, sits between Dixon and Sterling.

To reach the deepest lake in Illinois, you must go south—like WAY south.

Sitting just past Carbondale and near Marion, Devil's Kitchen Lake is the deepest inland lake in the state, measuring a "maximum depth of 90 feet," according to A to Z Animals.

A to Z Animals also explained how Devil's Kitchen Lake got its name.

One refers to a sizable, black rock outcrop that provided a view of the valley and was used as a campfire and cooking area for travelers. Black, which at the time had a particularly ominous connotation, contributed to the name “Devil’s Kitchen.” Eleanor Roosevelt allegedly gave the other name. Homeless people occupied the Crab Orchard Creek Project facilities during World War II, and after the war, Franklin and Eleanor viewed the project’s development, where the latter reportedly said, “This truly is the Devil’s kitchen,” when she saw the untidy cookhouse."

Here are the lakes ranked 2nd through 4th for depthness in Illinois.

• Kincaid Lake (80 feet deep)
• Little Grassy Lake (77 feet deep)
• Apple Canyon Lake (70 feet deep)