TV channels & antenna towers in Forest Lake, Illinois

Forest Lake, Illinois has a population of about 1,660. There are 57 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 30 full-power, 9 Class A, 17 low-power and 1 translator. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 28 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 12 at good or strong strength.

0 of them are within 25 miles of Forest Lake, 28 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 29 are more than 45 miles out. Ten of the 25 network stations in range are licensed to Chicago, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Chicago's stations.

The best-placed network stations are ABC on channel 7 (WLS-TV), CBS on channel 2 (WBBM-TV), NBC on channel 5 (WMAQ-TV), Fox on channel 32 (WFLD), CW on channel 9 (WGN-TV), ION on channel 38 (WCPX-TV), Telemundo on channel 44 (WSNS-TV), Univision on channel 66 (WGBO-DT) and MeTV on channel 26.3 (WCIU-TV). Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (good signal) and Univision (good signal). 11 full-power stations in range have no network listed in our data; these are typically public television, religious, shopping or independent stations.

Point your antenna SE, at about 136°. The main network towers for Forest Lake sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Ten network stations, WGBO-DT, WFLD, WMAQ-TV, WSNS-TV and WWME-CD and others, transmit from the same tower site about 31 miles southeast of Forest Lake (134° SE). That one direction covers every station on the site.

Of the 16 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Forest Lake at fair strength or better, 63% arrive from the southeast; the rest are spread across one other direction.

All of the main network towers are within their radio horizon as seen from Forest Lake, so signals arrive fairly directly and a well-placed antenna should hold them steadily.

The farthest main network tower for Forest Lake is WBBM-TV (CBS), 31 miles away with a fair estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here. Viewers who do not need that station can often manage with less.

An amplifier only helps here if you run a long cable (over about 50 feet) or split the antenna to several TVs. Otherwise better placement does more. See the amplifier guide.

With 28 stations at fair strength or better, Forest Lake ranks 70th of 766 places in Illinois: more than the typical Illinois town (17). Its nearest major network tower is 31 miles away, against a state median of 24 miles.

54% of Illinois's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The nearest larger city is Vernon Hills, 4.0 miles away.