Little Lake Inlet

Little Lake Inlet earns an F: phosphorus readings still being added and clarity at -324.8 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

There is not yet enough seasonal data to settle the lake's trophic classification — the TSI window remains too narrow to call. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Within the 128 graded lakes of Cook County, Little Lake Inlet sits at rank 127, near the bottom of the county list.

Zebra mussel presence at Little Lake Inlet means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Little Lake Inlet, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. A documented public access point at Little Lake Inlet makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.