Where is Lough Forbes?

Lough Forbes is a lake in Longford, Ireland. This page reports official water-quality measurements, shown as reported.

Is Lough Forbes safe to swim in?

Lough Forbes has official nutrient and clarity measurements, not a bacteria swim class and not a safety clearance. Algal blooms, currents, and depth are not covered. Always check local notices before swimming.

Lough Forbes

Longford, IrelandView map Directions

EPA Ireland publishes the water-quality measurements for Lough Forbes. Here is what has been measured.

Phosphorus

23.5 µg/L

Typical for Ireland

Measured by EPA Ireland

Chlorophyll-a

3 µg/L

Typical for Ireland

Measured by EPA Ireland

Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Lough Forbes in Longford, Ireland has official water-quality measurements, shown as reported. Phosphorus: 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L.

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How Lough Forbes is classified

Lough Forbes in Ireland is published with the authority's own measurements and class. The measurements here are published by the agency that samples the lake, as reported. Sampling here has recorded phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not water clarity.

LakeQuality publishes no grade of its own beside it. Everything below thathas been measured is reported on this page.

Monitoring: the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland, via UNEP GEMS/Water, with WFD lake names from EPA Ireland.

Lough Forbes is a lake in Longford County, Ireland.

Source: the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland, via UNEP GEMS/Water, with WFD lake names from EPA Ireland — not the EPA Water Quality Portal, last sampled 2022-10-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Lough Forbes is safe to swim in today is a call for the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland, via UNEP GEMS/Water, with WFD lake names from EPA Ireland and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Lough Forbes

These are the measurements EPA Ireland publishes for Lough Forbes. More on the source.

No clarity data. Phosphorus 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3 µg/L. TSI 46.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)		No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	23.5µg/L	Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential.
Chlorophyll-a (algae)	3µg/L	Measured, not scored 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.	46	Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Lough Forbes

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

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Stays near Lough Forbes

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lough Forbes in Longford, Ireland — 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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Fishing Lough Forbes

→ Lough Forbes fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Frequently asked questions about Lough Forbes

Where is Lough Forbes?: Lough Forbes is a lake in Longford, Ireland. This page reports official water-quality measurements, shown as reported.
What is the water quality of Lough Forbes?: Lough Forbes in Longford, Ireland has official water-quality measurements, shown as reported. Phosphorus: 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L.
Is Lough Forbes safe to swim in?: Lough Forbes has official nutrient and clarity measurements, not a bacteria swim class and not a safety clearance. Algal blooms, currents, and depth are not covered. Always check local notices before swimming.

Explore Lough Forbes across LakeQuality

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Where this data comes from

12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018–2022. Retrieved from UNEP GEMS/Water GFQA (not the EPA Water Quality Portal) on 2026-08-16.

Collected and reported by

European Environment Agencyeuropeanenvironmentagenc12 samples · —

Analytical methods

GEMStat OPEN / CC BY 4.0
EPA Ireland WFD lake waterbodies CC BY 4.0

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

IRL00321

Authority classifications are shown as the authority published them. See where the data comes from and data sources.