Lake Springfield
Sangamon County, Illinois4,224 acresView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Springfield. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Springfield in Sangamon County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 4224 acres.
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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Springfield covers about 4,200 acres in Sangamon County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lake Springfield on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Lake Springfield is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water4,224 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Springfield is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pesticides, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Springfield 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 Springfield
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Lake Springfield, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. TSI 71.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 71 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lake Springfield
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Springfield typically sits around 74°F at the surface in October. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (80°F).
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
Max depth
~39 ft est.
Surface area
4,224 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Illinois EPA
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
Watershed (drainage) area
269 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
19.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
558 ft
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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Springfield
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Springfield in Sangamon 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 Springfield
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Springfield → · more Illinois lake trips
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Fishing Lake Springfield
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
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
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Springfield 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: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_REF · Official waterbody report
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.
Nearby Lakes in Sangamon County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Springfield
Where is Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield is a lake in Sangamon 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 Springfield?
- Lake Springfield in Sangamon County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 4224 acres.
Is Lake Springfield safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Springfield is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pesticides, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield typically sits around 74°F at the surface in October, 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.
Can I fish at Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield 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.
Explore Lake Springfield across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Illinois's top lakes, each with its readings
Illinois's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Illinois
Other Lakes in Illinois
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Illinois
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)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from 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