Carlyle Lake: Best Boat Ramps To Use

Carlyle Lake, Illinois' largest man-made lake, offers 11 boat ramps for visitors to access the water. These ramps are spread across various recreational areas around the lake, providing easy entry for boating enthusiasts. In addition to these, there are three boat ramps on the Kaskaskia River, one just above and two below the reservoir. With such a wide range of options, visitors to Carlyle Lake have plenty of choices for launching their boats and enjoying the water.

Eleven boat ramps around Carlyle Lake

Carlyle Lake, Illinois' largest man-made lake, has no fewer than eleven boat ramps located at various recreational areas around its shores. The lake is a popular spot for fishing, sailing, and water sports. Here is a list of eleven boat ramps around Carlyle Lake:

• Allen Branch Boat Launch Ramp: This ramp is located off an unnamed road in Carlyle. It is one of the most popular boat-launching spots on the lake, featuring a four-lane boat ramp with a handicapped-accessible courtesy dock. Other amenities include picnic shelters and privy toilets.
• Apache Boat Access Ramp: Found on an unnamed road in Carlyle, this ramp offers a two-lane boat ramp, a picnic shelter, play equipment, a fish-cleaning station, and privy toilets.
• Peppenhorst Branch Boat Launch Ramp: With a gravelled small-boat ramp, this spot is popular with anglers and hunters, but it's also a great launch area for kayaks.
• Coles Creek Boat Launch Ramp: Located on County Road 1620 North in Carlyle.
• West Access Marina Ramp: Found on Marina Road in Carlyle.
• Boulder Public Boat Launch Ramp: Located at 801 Lake Road in Carlyle, this ramp is part of the Boulder Public Boat Launch.
• Dam West Boat Ramp: This boat ramp is located within the Dam West Recreation Area, which offers a range of amenities, including a beach, a playground, and educational programs.
• Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area Boat Ramp: This area is known for its camping facilities, and its central location on the lake makes it a great spot to launch a boat.
• Keyesport Boat Ramp: This ramp is located near the town of Keyesport, one of the largest cities bordering Carlyle Lake.
• Patoka Boat Ramp: Patoka is one of two public access areas for easy entry to the upper portion of Carlyle Lake.
• Tamalco Boat Ramp: Tamalco is the second of the two public access areas for the upper portion of the lake.

Three boat ramps on the Kaskaskia River

Carlyle Lake, located in southwestern Illinois, is the largest man-made lake in the state. It is a popular destination for boating and fishing enthusiasts, with eleven boat ramps located at various recreational areas around the lake. In addition, there are three boat ramps on the Kaskaskia River, which flows into Carlyle Lake. The Kaskaskia River boat ramps provide easy access to the lake and are a great option for those looking to explore the upper portion of the lake, which is quite shallow and consists mostly of flooded timber and brush. Here is some more information about the three boat ramps on the Kaskaskia River:

Tamalco Boat Ramp

The first of the three boat ramps on the Kaskaskia River is located at the Tamalco Access point, just above the reservoir. This boat ramp provides easy access to the upper portion of Carlyle Lake. The area surrounding the ramp is quite shallow, with an average depth of three feet, and is characterised by flooded timber and brush. This makes it an ideal spot for fishing enthusiasts looking to try their luck at catching some of the local fish species, such as white bass, bluegill, and crappie.

Patoka Boat Ramp

The second boat ramp on the Kaskaskia River is located at the Patoka Access point, below the reservoir. This boat ramp also provides good access to the upper portion of Carlyle Lake, which is known for its excellent fishing opportunities. The Patoka Access point is a great choice for those looking to explore the smaller creeks that feed into the lake, such as Hurricane, Bear, Maggot, East Fork, and North Fork. These streams offer a diverse range of fishing experiences and are worth checking out if you're an angler.

Keyesport Boat Ramp

The third and final boat ramp on the Kaskaskia River is located at the Keyesport Access point, below the reservoir. This boat ramp, along with the others on the Kaskaskia River, provides access to the upper portion of Carlyle Lake. The area is known for its shallow waters and an abundance of flooded timber and brush, which make it a unique and interesting boating and fishing experience. The Keyesport Access point is a great starting point for exploring the lake and its surrounding natural beauty.

Allen Branch Day Use Area boat ramp

The Allen Branch Day Use Area boat ramp is one of the most popular boat-launching spots on Carlyle Lake. It features a four-lane boat ramp with a handicapped-accessible courtesy dock, two picnic shelters, and privy toilets. The park is centrally located relative to the lake, making it a great place to launch a boat.

Carlyle Lake is one of the Midwest's most popular sailing lakes, owing to a combination of wide-open water, low surrounding terrain, and strong winds. Regional and national regattas are frequently held here, and in 1994, it hosted the U.S. Olympic Festival games sailing competition.

The Allen Branch area is also a popular fishing spot, offering an accessible fishing pier.

Apache Day Use Area boat ramp

The Apache Day Use Area boat ramp is one of three boat ramps available to the public free-of-charge at Carlyle Lake. It has a two-lane ramp, a picnic shelter, play equipment, a fish cleaning station, and privy toilets. The fish cleaning station is also accessible.

Carlyle Lake is located in southwestern Illinois, 50 miles east of St. Louis, and is the largest man-made lake in the state. It is about 15 miles long and two to three miles wide, with a maximum depth of 35 feet and an average depth of 11 feet. The lake is known for its excellent fishing opportunities, with over 30 species of fish, including white bass, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill, carp, and buffalo.

The lake is a popular destination for boating, with eleven boat ramps located at various recreational areas around the lake. In addition, there are three boat ramps on the Kaskaskia River, one just above and two below the reservoir. The lake offers a vast expanse of water for sports and recreation, including water skiing, jet skiing, and swimming.

The Apache Day Use Area boat ramp is located at Unnamed Road Carlyle, IL 62231. They can be contacted via phone for pricing, directions, reservations, and more information. With its two-lane ramp and amenities, the Apache Day Use Area boat ramp is a convenient and accessible option for boaters visiting Carlyle Lake.

Peppenhorst Branch boat ramp

The Peppenhorst Branch boat ramp is a great launch spot for kayaks, and a popular choice for anglers and hunters. The ramp is gravelled and suitable for small boats. It is located at 18849 Oak Street Carlyle, IL 62231. You can contact the Peppenhorst Branch boat ramp via phone to ask about pricing, directions, reservations, and more. Carlyle Lake is one of the Midwest's most popular sailing lakes, thanks to its central location, wide-open water, low surrounding terrain, and strong winds.

Carlyle Lake is Illinois' largest man-made lake and is located 50 miles east of St. Louis. It offers plenty of water sports opportunities and is a great place to go fishing. White bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass, freshwater drum, carp, flathead catfish, and walleye can all be found in abundance. The lake is vast, and the area provides fun both on the water and on shore. There are boat ramps and courtesy docks available for boaters.

The Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area, which is close to Carlyle Lake, is well-known for its camping facilities. The Illini Campground has various campsites with electrical hook-ups, as well as walk-in tent camping options and rent-a-cabins. The campground occupies about 1.5 miles of the Carlyle Lake shoreline, and many campers keep their boats in the coves located along the campground. There are also several recreational amenities available, such as playground equipment, a basketball court, and hiking trails.

In addition to the Peppenhorst Branch boat ramp, there are several other boat ramps around Carlyle Lake. These include the Apache Day Use Area, which has a two-lane ramp, and the Allen Branch Day Use Area, which is one of the most popular boat launching spots on the lake, with a four-lane boat ramp and a handicapped-accessible courtesy dock.

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