Facts and Data

Facts List

• Lake Monroe was designed and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) beginning in 1960 and became fully operational in 1965.
• The purpose of the lake is flood control, water supply, and low flow augmentation for downstream waters.
• Normal pool for the lake is 538’ above mean sea level (MSL).
• At normal pool, the lake has an area of 10,750 acres and is the largest lake in Indiana.
• The maximum depth of Lake Monroe is 54’ in the bed of Salt Creek near the dam. The average depth is 17’.
• The shoreline length of Lake Monroe is 103 miles at normal pool.
• Lake Monroe lies mostly in Monroe County (88%), with the remaining 12% in Brown  County.
• Lake Monroe serves as the sole source of drinking water for over 120,000 people, serving residents in Monroe and Brown Counties.
• Lake Monroe attracts over a million visitors per year. Popular activities include sight-seeing, fishing, swimming, picnicking, boating, skiing, and birding.
• Lake Monroe is a wildlife resources to a variety of species including the federally endangered clubshell mussel and Indiana bat.