Charleston Side Channel Lake
Coles County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for Charleston Side Channel Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Charleston Side Channel Lake in Coles County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 121 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 56.1 µg/L.
Charleston Side Channel Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Coles County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 27 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Coles County, Charleston Side Channel Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2021-10-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Charleston Side Channel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
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. Charleston Side Channel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Charleston Side Channel 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 Charleston Side Channel Lake
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Charleston Side Channel Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 121 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 56.1 µg/L. TSI 72.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 121µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 56.1µg/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. | 72 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Charleston Side Channel Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Charleston Side Channel Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 85°F) and coldest in Apr (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (85°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 156 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Charleston Side Channel Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~27 ft est.
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 Charleston Side Channel Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
783 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
405 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
584 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
- Charleston Side ChannelPublic
- Lake Charleston Spillway ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Charleston Side Channel Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Charleston Side Channel Lake in Coles 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 Charleston Side Channel Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Charleston Side Channel Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Charleston Side Channel Lake → · more Illinois lake trips
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Fishing Charleston Side Channel Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Charleston Side Channel Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Charleston Dam (completed 1981), built primarily for water supply on the TRIB EMBARASS RIVER; earth-type dam, 29 ft tall and 4,400 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 2,360 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,775 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- CITY OF CHARLESTON
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL01240 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.33 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Charleston Side Channel Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RBC · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Charleston Side Channel Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Charleston Stp, City OfCharleston · 3.8 mi away · NPDES IL0021644MajorRecent violation
- Illinois Department Of Natural Resources - Fox Ridge State Park StpCharleston · 4.5 mi away · NPDES IL0051250
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 Coles County
Frequently asked questions about Charleston Side Channel Lake
Where is Charleston Side Channel Lake?
- Charleston Side Channel Lake is a lake in Coles County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Charleston Side Channel Lake?
- Charleston Side Channel Lake in Coles County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 121 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 56.1 µg/L.
Is Charleston Side Channel Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Charleston Side Channel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Charleston Side Channel Lake?
- Charleston Side Channel Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in October, from 156 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Charleston Side Channel Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Charleston Side Channel Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 27 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 Charleston Side Channel Lake?
- Charleston Side Channel Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Charleston Side Channel, Lake Charleston Spillway Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Charleston Side Channel Lake?
- Charleston Side Channel Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Charleston Side Channel Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
55 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_WQX55 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- 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
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