Where is Lake Carlinville?

Lake Carlinville is a lake in Macoupin County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Lake Carlinville?

Lake Carlinville has a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of 8.2 feet. The lake covers 156 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Carlinville?

Lake Carlinville has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Carlinville #1. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Lake Carlinville?

Lake Carlinville has 1 documented boat landing 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.

Lake Carlinville

Macoupin County, Illinois156 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Illinois EPA for this lake.

Max depth

15 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

156 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

5.5 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Mercury
15 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Lake Carlinville in Macoupin County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 156 acres.

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Lake Carlinville is a 156-acre lake in Macoupin County, Illinois with a maximum depth of 15 feet (8-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Lake Carlinville is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Carlinville is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pesticides, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Lake Carlinville 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.

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Water quality measurements for Lake Carlinville

These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Lake Carlinville, 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 Lake Carlinville

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

15 ft

Average depth

8.2 ft

Surface area

156 acres

Shoreline

5.5 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by Illinois EPA

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Lake Carlinville #1Public

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Lake Carlinville

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Carlinville in Macoupin 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Lake Carlinville

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Fishing Lake Carlinville

→ Lake Carlinville fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Lake Carlinville is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

MercuryNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)PesticidesTurbidity

Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Fish consumption, Other.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RDG · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Macoupin County

Loveless LakeHypereutrophic1.9 miView →Smith Reservoir2.2 miView →Old Gillespie Lake6.9 miView →Lake Catatoga6 miView →New Gillespie Lake7 miView →Beaver Dam Lake6.4 miView →

Frequently asked questions about Lake Carlinville

Where is Lake Carlinville?: Lake Carlinville is a lake in Macoupin County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Carlinville?: Lake Carlinville in Macoupin County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 156 acres.
Is Lake Carlinville safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Carlinville is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pesticides, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Carlinville?: Lake Carlinville has a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of 8.2 feet. The lake covers 156 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Carlinville?: Lake Carlinville has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Carlinville #1. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Carlinville?: Lake Carlinville has 1 documented boat landing 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.