James Lake
Kosciusko County, IndianaView mapDirections
IDEM publishes the water-quality measurements for James Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 54 ft max depth
- Public access
James Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana has water-quality measurements published by IDEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7 µg/L.
Free interactive depth-contour map of James Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Indiana DNR.
James Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana with an estimated average depth of about 54 feet. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, IDEM, last sampled 2024-08-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. James Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether James Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for James Lake
These are the measurements IDEM publishes for James Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.3 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 53 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about James Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~54 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by IDEM
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Indiana has not published bathymetry for James Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
63 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
255 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
827 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.
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Stays near James Lake
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Fishing James Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+11.5 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.2 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
James 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: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit INB06P1056_00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
6 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of James Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- North Webster WwtpNorth Webster · 1.2 mi away · NPDES IN0040444Recent violation
- Camp Crosley YmcaNorth Webster · 0.4 mi away · NPDES INR10J396
- Camp Crosley Recreation Area: Phase Ii GradingNorth Webster · 0.4 mi away · NPDES INR10L374
- Indiana Baptist Convention FoundationNorth Webster · 0.6 mi away · NPDES INR10H655
- Lake Tippecanoe/James Lake Dredging Dewatering BasinsSyracuse · 0.8 mi away · NPDES INR10J244
- Lake Tippecanoe Ducunee/Neibert Dredging Dewatering BasinLeesburg · 1 mi away · NPDES INRA00480
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 Kosciusko County
Frequently asked questions about James Lake
Where is James Lake?
- James Lake is a lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana. Its water-quality measurements are published by IDEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of James Lake?
- James Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana has water-quality measurements published by IDEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7 µg/L.
Is James Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. James Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is James Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers James Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 54 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Can I fish at James Lake?
- Public access to James Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Indiana's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS11 samples · 2021
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)