Crab Orchard Lake
Williamson County, Illinois7,293 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Illinois EPA for this lake.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
Crab Orchard Lake in Williamson County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 24.6 ft. Surface area: 7293 acres.
Crab Orchard Lake is a 7,293-acre lake in Williamson County, Illinois with a maximum depth of 25 feet (9-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 8 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Crab Orchard Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch8 documented ramps
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water7,293 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingNot rated
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Crab Orchard Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pCBs, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Crab Orchard 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 Crab Orchard Lake
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Crab Orchard 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. TSI undefined.
Ask about Crab Orchard Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
24.6 ft
Average depth
9.1 ft
Surface area
7,293 acres
Shoreline
103.7 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Illinois EPA
Recreation & Access
- Crab Orchard LakePublic
- Crab Orchard LakePublic
- Crab Orchard LakePublic
- Crab Orchard LakePublic
- Crab Orchard LakePublic
- Crab Orchard LakePublic
Showing 6 of 8 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Crab Orchard Lake
- Blue Heron Marina & Camprground1.8 km
- Crab Orchard2.4 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
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Stays near Crab Orchard Lake
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Fishing Crab Orchard Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Crab Orchard Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RNA · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Williamson County
Frequently asked questions about Crab Orchard Lake
Where is Crab Orchard Lake?
- Crab Orchard Lake is a lake in Williamson County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crab Orchard Lake?
- Crab Orchard Lake in Williamson County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 24.6 ft. Surface area: 7293 acres.
Is Crab Orchard Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Crab Orchard Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pCBs, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Crab Orchard Lake?
- Crab Orchard Lake has a maximum depth of 24.6 feet and an average depth of 9.1 feet. The lake covers 7293 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Crab Orchard Lake?
- Crab Orchard Lake has 8 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Crab Orchard Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Crab Orchard Lake?
- Crab Orchard Lake has 8 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.
Are there campgrounds on Crab Orchard Lake?
- Crab Orchard Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Blue Heron Marina & Camprground, Crab Orchard. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
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Where this data comes from
Measurements for Crab Orchard Lake come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles