Lou Yaeger Lake
Montgomery County, Illinois1,410 acresView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lou Yaeger Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Lou Yaeger Lake in Montgomery County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 255 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 72.6 µg/L. Surface area: 1410 acres.
Lou Yaeger Lake is a 1,410-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Montgomery County, Illinois. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Montgomery County, Lou Yaeger Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2022-10-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lou Yaeger Lake covers about 1,400 acres in Montgomery County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lou Yaeger Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Lou Yaeger Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water1,410 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lou Yaeger Lake 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 Lou Yaeger Lake
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Lou Yaeger Lake, 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 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 255 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 72.6 µg/L. TSI 75.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 255µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 72.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 75 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lou Yaeger Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lou Yaeger Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in Oct (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (84°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 87 field readings (2012–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lou Yaeger Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
1,410 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Illinois EPA
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lou Yaeger Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lou Yaeger LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lou Yaeger Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lou Yaeger Lake in Montgomery 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Lou Yaeger Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lou Yaeger Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Lou Yaeger Lake → · more Illinois lake trips
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Fishing Lou Yaeger Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lou Yaeger Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Lou Yaeger Dam (completed 1966), built primarily for recreation on the WEST FORK SHOAL CREEK; earth-type dam, 54 ft tall and 1,270 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,410 ac
- Normal storage
- 15,380 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 44,430 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 104 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF LITCHFIELD
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00693 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lou Yaeger Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Litchfield StpLitchfield · 4.9 mi away · NPDES IL0020621MajorRecent violation
- Litchfield - Yeager Lake Stp, City OfLitchfield · 2.3 mi away · NPDES IL0054976Recent violation
- Litchfield-Hillsboro LandfillLitchfield · 2.8 mi away · NPDES IL0075728Recent violation
- Litchfield Wtp, City OfLitchfield · 2.6 mi away · NPDES IL0059153
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 Montgomery County
Frequently asked questions about Lou Yaeger Lake
Where is Lou Yaeger Lake?
- Lou Yaeger Lake is a lake in Montgomery County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lou Yaeger Lake?
- Lou Yaeger Lake in Montgomery County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 255 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 72.6 µg/L. Surface area: 1410 acres.
Is Lou Yaeger Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lou Yaeger Lake?
- Lou Yaeger Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October, from 87 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Lou Yaeger Lake?
- Lou Yaeger Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lou Yaeger Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lou Yaeger Lake?
- Lou Yaeger Lake 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 Lou Yaeger Lake 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
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Illinois
Compare Lou Yaeger Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
48 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX48 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory