Bluff Lake
Lake County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bluff Lake in Lake County, Illinois is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 315.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30.8 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 4 ft
- Typical in August
- 72°F
- Max depth
- ~42 ft est.
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Bluff Lake’s letter
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Why Bluff Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Bluff Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by Illinois EPA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Bluff Lake is a lake in Lake County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 42 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2022-10-25. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Bluff Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Bluff Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Bluff Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft. Phosphorus 315.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 30.8 µg/L. TSI 70.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 315.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 30.8 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Bluff Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 186 field readings (2012–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bluff Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~42 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Illinois has not published bathymetry for Bluff 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
- Fox Chain O'LakesPublic
- a resortSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Bluff Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Bluff Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_VTJ · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Bluff Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Laurel Peat MineAntioch · 2 mi away · NPDES IL0066036Recent violation
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.
Graded lakes near Bluff Lake
Bluff Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Bluff Lake
Where is Bluff Lake?
- Bluff Lake is a lake in Lake County, Illinois. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Bluff Lake?
- Bluff Lake in Lake County, Illinois is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 315.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30.8 µg/L.
Is Bluff Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Bluff Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bluff Lake?
- Bluff Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 186 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bluff Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Bluff 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.
Are there boat ramps on Bluff Lake?
- Bluff Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fox Chain O'Lakes, a resort. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Bluff Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Chain O'Lakes area
Where to stay at Illinois's top lakes, each with its grade
Illinois's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
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Other Lakes in Illinois
Eutrophic Lakes in Illinois
Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX12 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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