Big Barbee Lake
Kosciusko County, IndianaView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Barbee Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 3.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- ~42 ft est.
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Big Barbee Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Barbee Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Big Barbee Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Big Barbee Lake → · more Indiana lake trips
Watch Big Barbee Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Free interactive depth-contour map of Big Barbee Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 42 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Indiana DNR.
Why Big Barbee Lake has no grade
Big Barbee Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Big Barbee Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 3.1-foot median from 11 readings collected 2021 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by IDEM and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Big Barbee Lake is a lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana with an estimated average depth of about 42 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, IDEM, last sampled 2021-08-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Big Barbee Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Big Barbee Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 3.1 ft of visibility. TSI 61.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Big Barbee Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in Jun (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 13 field readings (2012–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Barbee Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~42 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~7 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Indiana has not published bathymetry for Big Barbee Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Big Barbee Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.064 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +376.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +7.82 µg/L/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Big Barbee Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit INB06P1050_00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
6 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Big Barbee Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Yogi Bear Jellystone Park WwtpPierceton · 1.9 mi away · NPDES IN0030911Recent violation
- Lakeland Regional Wastewater Collection SystemLeesburg · 1 mi away · NPDES INR10H322
- Kosciusko County Bridge 18 Wetland MitigationPierceton · 4.5 mi away · NPDES INRA02207
- Shiloh Industries PiercetonPierceton · 4.6 mi away · NPDES INRM01680
- Aludyne North America, Llc PiercetonPierceton · 4.6 mi away · NPDES INRM02777
- Linacast Incorporated - Linamar Light Metals PiercetonPierceton · 4.6 mi away · NPDES INRM03244
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Kosciusko County
Frequently asked questions about Big Barbee Lake
Where is Big Barbee Lake?
- Big Barbee Lake is a lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Big Barbee Lake?
- Big Barbee Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility.
Is Big Barbee Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Big Barbee Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Barbee Lake?
- Big Barbee Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 13 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Barbee Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Big Barbee Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 42 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Big Barbee Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Northern Indiana Lake Country area
Where to stay at Indiana's top lakes, each with its grade
Indiana's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Indiana Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Indiana
Eutrophic Lakes in Indiana
Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS11 samples · 2021
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)