CARLYLE LAKE – Carlyle Lake offers a variety of late summer hunting opportunities starting with squirrel season which opens Thursday, 1 August 2019. Shooting hours are ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset. The daily bag limit is five and the possession limit is ten, you may possess no more than twice the daily bag limit. All public lands around the lake are open to hunting with the exception of developed recreation areas and a 100 yard buffer zone around the recreation areas and other posted areas marked “NO HUNTING.” Both shotguns and .22 rim fire rifles are permitted on Corps of Engineers public lands to hunt squirrels. Remember to always practice hunting safety and follow all State of Illinois hunting rules and regulations, as well as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site specific regulations.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers presents interactive educational programs on Friday and Saturday evenings and beach programs on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Presentations are free and open to the public.
Friday, 2 August:
8:00 p.m. West Bay Amphitheater, Dam West Campground – Damsels & Dragonflies
8:00 p.m. Cattail Cove Amphitheater, Coles Creek Campground – Grossology
8:00 p.m. Brewster Creek Amphitheater, Boulder Campground – Go Nuts!
Saturday, 3 August:
2:00 p.m. Dam West Beach – Water Safety
2:30 p.m. Harbor Light Bay Beach – Water Safety
2:30 p.m. McNair Beach – Water Safety
3:00 p.m. Keyesport Beach – Water Safety
3:00 p.m. Coles Creek Beach – Water Safety
8:00 p.m. West Bay Amphitheater, Dam West Campground – Go Nuts!
8:00 p.m. Cattail Cove Amphitheater, Coles Creek Campground – Damsels & Dragonflies
8:00 p.m. Brewster Creek Amphitheater, Boulder Campground – Grossology
Sunday, 4 August:
10:00 a.m. Carlyle Lake Main Dam Tour – Starts at the top of the Carlyle Lake Dam
2:00 p.m. Dam West Beach – Water Safety
2:30 p.m. Harbor Light Bay Beach – Water Safety
2:30 p.m. McNair Beach – Water Safety
3:00 p.m. Keyesport Beach – Water Safety
3:00 p.m. Coles Creek Beach – Water Safety
Dam West, Coles Creek, and Boulder Campgrounds are open with sites available on a first-come-first-serve basis and also through reservation by calling the National Recreation Reservation Service at 1-877-444-6777 or online at www.recreation.gov. McNair and Dam East Campgrounds are open on a first-come-first-serve basis. Eldon Hazlet State Park is also open and has sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis or online at www.reserveamerica.com
The Carlyle Lake Visitor Center is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Visitor Center has exhibits and brochures to help plan your stay at Carlyle Lake.
Life jacket loaner stations are available at Keyesport, Dam West, McNair, and Coles Creek beaches and boat ramps. Visitors are encouraged to borrow a life jacket from a station to use while recreating and to return the life jacket to a station once done.
For more information contact the Carlyle Lake Project Office at (618) 594-2484 or e-mail at carlylelake@usace.army.mil