CHAIN O'LAKES

With over of water, the Fox River's 'Chain O'Lakes' is the second largest inland water-oriented recreational asset in Northeastern Illinois and ranks second in popularity in the entire United States. With its 15 lakes, of Fox River and over of shoreline, the system accommodates a range of water-borne activities including hunting, boating, fishing, birding, water skiing, jet skiing and swimming. Boat HP is unrestricted. The system is centrally located approximately one hour's drive from Chicago, Milwaukee or Rockford. The lakes were formed by glaciers that moved across northern Illinois. The Fox Chain of Lakes are generally shallow with the average depth around ten feet, but are nonetheless navigable. The Chain consists of nine major lakes; including Fox, Marie, Catherine, Channel, Nippersink, Pistakee, Grass, Bluff and Petite Lakes. The lakes are connected by a series of small waterways, which allows boats to travel between lakes. The Chain is fed by the Fox River, which is a tributary of the Illinois River.
The Illinois DNR manages the Chain O'Lakes State Park on the west shore of the lake. The park help preserve some of the chain's shores from development in recent years from the sprawl of Chicago that has affected the lakes. More homes are being built around the lakes, which has been a recreational area for Chicago and its surrounding communities since the late 19th century.

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Trivia

Trivia

★ Lake Nippersink, not far from the original McDonald's, made an appearance in a 1980s commercial for the fast food chain. In the commercial, kids from the fictional "Camp Nippersink" found their day rained out, until one camper offers to teach another a game in exchange for a French fry. The campers then splash around to the song of "We are Nippersinkers, we're in luck, if it rains all week, just pretend you're a duck. Quack quack, waddle waddle..."