Carlyle Lake vs Governor Bond Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Governor Bond Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Carlyle Lake. Both are in Illinois.
Carlyle Lake and Governor Bond Lake are both in Illinois — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The readings are close: Carlyle Lake and Governor Bond Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Carlyle Lake
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility.
Governor Bond Lake
Very murky, less than 1.2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Carlyle Lake | Governor Bond Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 1.8 ft Better | 1.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 238.5 µg/L | 175 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 38.8 µg/L Better | 91 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 24,580 acres | 900 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | hypereutrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Carlyle Lake and Governor Bond Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Carlyle Lake: 1.8 ft, Governor Bond Lake: 1.2 ft) and what you want from the lake. Carlyle Lake matches its peer on species count.
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Where to stay near Carlyle Lake and Governor Bond Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Carlyle Lake and Governor Bond Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.