Rend Lake kicks off 2025 summer recreation season

REND LAKE, Ill., (KBSI) — The 2025 summer recreation season has begun at Rend Lake, which hosted over 1.6 million visitors in 2023.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have partnered for over 50 years to manage the lake’s public use areas, which include picnic sites, camping sites, boat ramps and trails.

The partnership includes nearly 60 dedicated shifts each summer for patrolling the lake’s public areas.

Local spending generated by the lake exceeded $91 million in 2023.