Lake Moraine
Madison County, New York260 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 57 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Moraine in Madison County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 20.3 ft visibility. Surface area: 260 acres.
- Clarity
- 20.3 ft
- Max depth
- ~57 ft est.
- Area
- 260 acres
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Moraine
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Watch Lake Moraine’s letter
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Why Lake Moraine has no grade
Lake Moraine has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Lake Moraine is Not Rated — not an F. Its 20.3-foot median from 8 readings collected 2020 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NYSDEC and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake Moraine is a 260-acre lake in Madison County, New York with an estimated average depth of about 57 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NYSDEC, last sampled 2020-09-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Moraine is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water20.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Moraine is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake Moraine
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 20.3 ft down. TSI 34.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 20.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~57 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 260 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. New York has not published bathymetry for Lake Moraine.
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.
Recreation & Access
- Lake MorainePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Moraine
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Moraine is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Moraine Dam (completed 1836), built primarily for navigation on the PAYNE BROOK; earth-type dam, 56 ft tall and 800 ft long.
- Surface area
- 260 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,765 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 8.05 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- New York State Canal Corporation
All listed purposes: Navigation;Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NY00354 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Moraine is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NY0602-0007 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Moraine under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Hamilton (V) WpcpHamilton · 3.2 mi away · NPDES NY0020672MajorRecent violation
- Madison MarketplaceHamilton · 1.8 mi away · NPDES NY0262021Recent violation
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 Madison County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Moraine
Where is Lake Moraine?
- Lake Moraine is a lake in Madison County, New York. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Moraine?
- Lake Moraine in Madison County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 20.3 ft visibility. Surface area: 260 acres.
Is Lake Moraine safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Moraine is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Moraine?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Moraine, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 57 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 260 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Moraine?
- Lake Moraine has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Moraine. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Moraine across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS8 samples · 2020
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory