Fox Lake
Lake County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for Fox Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Limited data
Fox Lake in Lake County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 72 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.2 µg/L.
Fox Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lake County, Illinois. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Fox Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2022-10-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Fox Lake has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Fox Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Fox 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. Fox Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pesticides, pCBs, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fox 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 Fox Lake
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Fox 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 1.9 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 72 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28.2 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 72µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 28.2µg/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. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Fox Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM from gauge 05547500 (Fox Lake Near Lake Villa, IL). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
Recreation & Access
- a marinaSemi-private
- Bayview ParkSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Fox Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fox Lake in Lake 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 Fox Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Fox 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 Fox Lake → · more Illinois lake trips
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Fishing Fox Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Fox 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_RTF · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Fox Lake
Where is Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake is a lake in Lake County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake in Lake County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 72 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.2 µg/L.
Is Fox Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Fox Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pesticides, pCBs, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water level at Fox Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Fox Lake is 4.1 ft of gage height, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM at gauge 05547500. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include a marina, Bayview Park.
Can I fish at Fox Lake?
- Fox 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 Fox 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 readings
Illinois's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Illinois
Other Lakes in Illinois
Eutrophic Lakes in Illinois
Where this data comes from
22 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX22 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory