Chebacco Lake
Essex County, MassachusettsView mapDirections
MassDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Chebacco Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
Chebacco Lake in Essex County, Massachusetts has water-quality measurements published by MassDEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 26.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L.
Chebacco Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Essex County, Massachusetts. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Essex County, Chebacco Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, MassDEP, last sampled 2022-06-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Chebacco Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, mercury, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Chebacco Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Chebacco Lake
These are the measurements MassDEP publishes for Chebacco 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 26.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.8 µg/L. TSI 50.
| 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 | 26.3µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.8µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 50 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Fishing Chebacco Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Improving-3.13 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.93 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Chebacco Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation, Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MA93014 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Essex County
Frequently asked questions about Chebacco Lake
Where is Chebacco Lake?
- Chebacco Lake is a lake in Essex County, Massachusetts. Its water-quality measurements are published by MassDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Chebacco Lake?
- Chebacco Lake in Essex County, Massachusetts has water-quality measurements published by MassDEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 26.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L.
Is Chebacco Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Chebacco Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, mercury, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Ipswich River Watershed Association (Volunteer)
IRWA4 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Revision 1.2, September 1997, In Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll a and Pheophytin a in Marine and Freshwater Algae by Fluorescence
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database