Centralia Lake
Marion County, Illinois300 acresView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for Centralia Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Centralia Lake in Marion County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 132 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 69.7 µg/L. Surface area: 300 acres.
Centralia Lake is a 300-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Marion County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 39 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Marion County, Centralia Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2021-10-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Centralia 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 Centralia Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Centralia Lake
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Centralia Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 132 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 69.7 µg/L. TSI 73.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 132µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 69.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 73 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Centralia Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Centralia Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Apr (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 301 field readings (2012–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Centralia Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~39 ft est.
Surface area
300 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Illinois EPA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Illinois has not published bathymetry for Centralia Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
512 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
- Centralia LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Centralia Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Centralia Lake in Marion County, Illinois — 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Centralia Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Centralia 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 Centralia Lake → · more Illinois lake trips
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Fishing Centralia Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Centralia Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Centralia Dam (completed 1911), built primarily for recreation on the MARTIN BRANCH; earth-type dam, 31 ft tall and 720 ft long.
- Surface area
- 300 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,772 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,165 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- CITY OF CENTRALIA
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00239 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Centralia Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Raccoon School District C-1 StpCentralia · 3.1 mi away · NPDES IL0052981Recent violation
- Fosters Mobile Home Park StpSalem · 3.5 mi away · NPDES IL0053040
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 Marion County
Frequently asked questions about Centralia Lake
Where is Centralia Lake?
- Centralia Lake is a lake in Marion County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Centralia Lake?
- Centralia Lake in Marion County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 132 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 69.7 µg/L. Surface area: 300 acres.
Is Centralia 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 Centralia Lake?
- Centralia Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in October, from 301 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Centralia Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Centralia Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 39 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 300 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Centralia Lake?
- Centralia Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Centralia Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Centralia Lake?
- Centralia 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 Illinois's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Centralia Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Illinois's top lakes, each with its readings
Illinois's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Illinois
Other Lakes in Illinois
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Illinois
Where this data comes from
51 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX51 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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