Big Chapman 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)
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Chapman Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 6.9 ft
- Typical in August
- 79°F
- Max depth
- ~35 ft est.
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Big Chapman Lake’s letter
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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.
Why Big Chapman Lake has no grade
Big Chapman 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 Chapman Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 6.9-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 Chapman Lake is a 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 2021-08-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Big Chapman Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Big Chapman 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 Chapman Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. TSI 49.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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.
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
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~35 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 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 Chapman 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.
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
Fishing Big Chapman Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.775 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -49.25 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Big Chapman 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 INB06P1071_00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.62 km)
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. 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 Chapman Lake?
- Big Chapman Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility.
Is Big Chapman Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Big Chapman 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 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.
Explore Big Chapman Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory