LaSalle Lake, a manmade, 2,058-acre lake 8 miles southeast of
Marseilles, is popular among anglers. Serving as a cooling lake
for Commonwealth Edison's LaSalle Power Station, the lake is
formed by levees that rise above the surrounding land. While
this perched construction helps the lake catch the wind to cool
the impounded water, it can result in extremely hazardous
conditions for unwary boaters. All lake users should familiarize
themselves with the precautions described in the "Safety
Information" below. Dirt excavated for the LaSalle County lake's
construction was used to build the shoreline and internal dikes,
which are covered with rock riprap. The dikes are used to direct
cooling water through a five-day circulation pattern from the
discharge channel back to the intake channel. Typically there is
a 20-degree water temperature difference between the two
channels. The average depth of LaSalle Lake is 15 feet, but
excavated areas within the lake are up to 70 feet With its
riprapped shoreline, LaSalle has n