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Lake Topanemus

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #1 of 4 lakes in the county · 5.4 ft clear · Eutrophic · 22 acres
Eutrophic

Lake Topanemus in Monmouth County, New Jersey has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.2 µg/L. Surface area: 22 acres.

Clarity
5.4 ft
Area
22 acres
Type
Eutrophic

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Lake Topanemus is a 22-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Monmouth County, Lake Topanemus ranks #1 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2023-11-02. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low algae

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

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Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Murky, only visible to about 5.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 24.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 10.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 52.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)5.4 ftNot graded
Phosphorus24.9 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)10.2 µg/LGood
Trophic State Index (TSI)52Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Lake Topanemus

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Topanemus in Monmouth County, New Jersey — 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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Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Surface Area22 acres

No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Topanemus, so its depth is not documented here.

Fishing Lake Topanemus

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Lake Topanemus is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Topanemus Dam (completed 1915), built primarily for recreation on the McGellaird's Brook; earth-type dam, 20 ft tall and 327 ft long.

Surface area
22 ac
Normal storage
66 ac-ft
Drainage area
1.6 sq mi
Hazard class
High
Owner
Monmouth County Engineering

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NJ00219 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Lake Topanemus is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Impaired biota (cause unknown)Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NJ02030105150020-01 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.31 km)

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 4 lakes in Monmouth County

Nearby Lakes in Monmouth County

Frequently asked questions about Lake Topanemus

Where is Lake Topanemus?

Lake Topanemus is a lake in Monmouth County, New Jersey. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Lake Topanemus?

Lake Topanemus in Monmouth County, New Jersey has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.2 µg/L. Surface area: 22 acres.

Is Lake Topanemus safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Lake Topanemus has a water quality grade of B (Good). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 10.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Eutrophic Lakes in New Jersey

Where this data comes from

72 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.

Collected and reported by

  • NJDEP Bureau of Freshwater and Biological MonitoringNJDEP_BFBM72 samples · 2022–2023

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (3)

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