Lake Sara
Effingham County, Illinois553 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Illinois EPA for this lake.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 52 ft max depth
Lake Sara in Effingham County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 553 acres.
Lake Sara is a 553-acre lake in Effingham County, Illinois with a maximum depth of 52 feet (18-foot average).
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Sara is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water52 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingNot rated
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Sara is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Sara 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 Lake Sara
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Lake Sara, 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 Sara
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
52 ft
Average depth
18 ft
Surface area
553 acres
Shoreline
30 mi
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Sara
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Sara in Effingham 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.
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Fishing Lake Sara
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Sara 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: Drinking water, Fish consumption, Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RCE · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Effingham County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Sara
Where is Lake Sara?
- Lake Sara is a lake in Effingham 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 Sara?
- Lake Sara in Effingham County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 553 acres.
Is Lake Sara safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Sara is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Sara?
- Lake Sara has a maximum depth of 52 feet and an average depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 553 acres.
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Where this data comes from
Measurements for Lake Sara come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database