Lake Springfield
Sangamon County, Illinois4,224 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.
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Springfield in Sangamon County, Illinois is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 4224 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 78°F
- Max depth
- ~39 ft est.
- Area
- 4,224 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Springfield’s letter
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Why Lake Springfield has no grade
Lake Springfield 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 Springfield is Not Rated — not an F. Its 1.5-foot median from 195 readings collected 2020–2024 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 Illinois EPA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake Springfield is a 4,224-acre lake in Sangamon County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 39 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2024-08-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Springfield is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water4,224 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake Springfield
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. TSI 71.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 71 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Lake Springfield typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Apr (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 72 field readings (2010–2018) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Springfield water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~39 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~37 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 4,224 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
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 Springfield.
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 SpringfieldPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Springfield
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -5.276 m/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Springfield is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Spaulding Dam (completed 1933), built primarily for recreation on the SUGAR CREEK; concrete-type dam, 48 ft tall and 3,300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 4,224 ac
- Normal storage
- 53,504 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 101,205 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 265 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY WATER, LIGHT & POWER
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00749 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Springfield under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 2 classified by the EPA as major dischargers. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- City Water Light And PowerSpringfield · 0.3 mi away · NPDES IL0024767MajorRecent violation
- Sangamon County Water Reclamation DistrictSpringfield · 2.8 mi away · NPDES IL0021971MajorRecent violation
- Lincoln Trails Mhp StpSpringfield · 3.4 mi away · NPDES IL0048241Recent 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.
Graded lakes near Lake Springfield
Lake Springfield has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Sangamon County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Springfield
Where is Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield is a lake in Sangamon County, Illinois. 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 Springfield?
- Lake Springfield in Sangamon County, Illinois is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 4224 acres.
Is Lake Springfield safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August, from 72 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2018). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Springfield?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Springfield, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 39 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 4224 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Springfield. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Springfield 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
195 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS195 samples · 2020–2024
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
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