Lake Calumet
Cook County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from F at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Round Goby
- #2 of 16 in the county
- 22 ft max depth
Lake Calumet in Cook County, Illinois has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.4 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 4.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~22 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 16.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Lake Calumet
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Watch Lake Calumet’s letter
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Lake Calumet is a 0-acre mesotrophic lake in Cook County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 22 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Cook County, Lake Calumet ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2023-07-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Calumet is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft. Phosphorus 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.4 µg/L. TSI 49. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~22 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Illinois has not published bathymetry for Lake Calumet.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing Lake Calumet
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. Hover a chip to see scientific name, ecological context, status, and first-observed year.
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -24 m/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.05 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Calumet is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Thomas J. O'Brien Lock and Controlling Works (completed 1960), built primarily for navigation on the CALUMET RIVER; concrete-type dam, 37 ft tall and 430 ft long.
- Surface area
- 0 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 9,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 250 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Chicago District
All listed purposes: Navigation;Other;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL01013 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Calumet is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RHO · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 16 lakes in Cook County
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Calumet
Where is Lake Calumet?
- Lake Calumet is a lake in Cook County, Illinois. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Calumet?
- Lake Calumet in Cook County, Illinois has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.4 µg/L.
Is Lake Calumet safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Calumet is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Calumet?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Calumet, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 22 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Lake Calumet across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Indiana Dunes?
Lake Calumet is about 26 miles from Indiana Dunes National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Indiana Dunes →More Illinois Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Illinois
Mesotrophic Lakes in Illinois
Where this data comes from
54 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX52 samples · 2021 - USGS Illinois Water Science Center
USGS-IL2 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)