Big Chapman Lake
Kosciusko County, IndianaView mapDirections
IDEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Chapman Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Chapman Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana has water-quality measurements published by IDEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Big Chapman Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 35 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Indiana DNR.
Big Chapman Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana with an estimated average depth of about 35 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, IDEM, last sampled 2022-07-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Big Chapman Lake has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Big Chapman Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Big Chapman Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Chapman Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Big Chapman Lake
These are the measurements IDEM publishes for Big Chapman Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 30.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.5 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30.9µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Big Chapman Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Chapman Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Jun (about 73°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (73°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 22 field readings (2012–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Chapman Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~35 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by IDEM
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 Chapman Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
432 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
817 ft
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.
Recreation & Access
- Tri-County Fish & Wildlife AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Big Chapman Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Chapman 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 Chapman Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Chapman Lake → · more Indiana lake trips
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Fishing Big Chapman Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-49.25 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.1 µg/L/yr2 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
8 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Big Chapman Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Suburban Acres Mobile Home ParkWarsaw · 1.6 mi away · NPDES IN0025208Recent violation
- Meck'S Whispering Pines Ii, LlcWarsaw · 2.8 mi away · NPDES IN0054704Recent violation
- Lakeland Regional Sewer DistrictWarsaw · 2.9 mi away · NPDES IN0064131Recent violation
- Storage Condominium BuildingsWarsaw · 0.5 mi away · NPDES INRA06896
- Tenney & Sons, IncWarsaw · 1 mi away · NPDES INL000001
- Suburban Acres Mhp WwtpWarsaw · 1.6 mi away · NPDES IN0030945
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 Chapman Lake
Where is Big Chapman Lake?
- Big Chapman Lake is a lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana. Its water-quality measurements are published by IDEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Chapman Lake?
- Big Chapman Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana has water-quality measurements published by IDEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L.
Is Big Chapman Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Chapman Lake?
- Big Chapman Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August, from 22 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Chapman Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Big Chapman Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 35 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Big Chapman Lake?
- Big Chapman Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Chapman Lake?
- Big Chapman Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Indiana's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Big Chapman Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Indiana's top lakes, each with its readings
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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)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory