US lakes & pondsUS lakes & pondsBraceville · Godley, Illinois — Will County.
Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID {9BC7B5A5-2485-4251-8BFC-1242F074E44F}).
The red circle marks Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond.
Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (Illinois: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).
Official IDNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.
Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.
Fish species in the IDNR fishing outlook, with the IDNR rating from its fish surveys: Blue catfish (very good), Bluegill (fair), Channel catfish (good), Flathead catfish (fair), Largemouth bass (excellent), Redear sunfish (fair), Wiper (hybrid striped bass) (average).
Stocked by the state: Blue catfish, Largemouth bass, Wiper (hybrid striped bass) (2025, 2026)
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fisheries, ifishillinois.org page for Braidwood Lake (Will County): fishing outlook, recent stocking history and lake description. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.
Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.
Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID {9BC7B5A5-2485-4251-8BFC-1242F074E44F}), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: OpenStreetMap boat ramps (no statewide agency ramp layer used) and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.
We found 7 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond, 2 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.
RVs welcome
RVs welcome
RVs welcome
All campgrounds & RV parks in Illinois
Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.
Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.
The closest airport with scheduled passenger flights to Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond, plus larger airports within about 150 miles:
Car rental links go to our partner Discover Cars; LakeRipple may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.
Airports with scheduled airline service from OurAirports (large and medium airports); larger airports are FAA large, medium and small hubs by FAA CY2025 enplanements ("major airport" = FAA large hub). Distances are straight-line from the lake's center, not driving distance; road routes are longer.
Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (41.2224, -88.2351). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.
Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.
3 public access sites listed, 3 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.
| Site | Town | Owner | Type | Parking | Fee | Uses | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boat ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 41.2027, -88.2326 |
| Boat ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 41.2424, -88.2084 |
| Boat ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 41.2189, -88.1961 |
OpenStreetMap boat ramps (no statewide agency ramp layer used) and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)
Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.
Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond covers about 2,539 acres in Braceville and Godley, Illinois (Will County).
IDNR Division of Fisheries lake page lists Largemouth bass, Bluegill, Channel catfish, Blue catfish, Flathead catfish, Redear sunfish and Wiper (hybrid striped bass).
Yes. 3 public trailer launches are listed: Boat ramp, Boat ramp and Boat ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.
Yes. We list 7 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 2 of them within 5 miles.
Braidwood Power Plant Cooling Pond touches Braceville and Godley in Will County, Illinois.
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Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Illinois lakes & ponds · All waters in Braceville