Loveless Lake
Macoupin County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for Loveless Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Loveless Lake in Macoupin County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 82 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 37.3 µg/L.
Loveless Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Macoupin County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 29 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Macoupin County, Loveless Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2021-10-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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 Loveless 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 Loveless Lake
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Loveless Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 82 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 37.3 µg/L. TSI 67.
| 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 | 82µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 37.3µg/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. | 67 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Loveless Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Loveless Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 73°F) and coldest in Apr (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 341 field readings (2014–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Loveless Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~29 ft est.
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 Loveless Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
64 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
630 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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Loveless Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Loveless Lake in Macoupin 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 Loveless Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Loveless Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Illinois’s top lakes →
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Fishing Loveless Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Loveless Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Carlinville Lake II Dam (completed 1981), built primarily for water supply on the TRIB HONEY CREEK; earth-type dam, 50 ft tall and 645 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 1,785 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,400 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- CITY OF CARLINVILLE
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL50030 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.79 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Loveless Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Carlinville StpCarlinville · 4 mi away · NPDES IL0022675MajorRecent violation
- Macoupin Energy LlcCarlinville · 1.3 mi away · NPDES IL0056022Recent violation
- Lake Williamson Christian Center StpCarlinville · 1.7 mi away · NPDES IL0045373
- Carlinville Waterworks SystemCarlinville · 2.2 mi away · NPDES IL0051390
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 Macoupin County
Frequently asked questions about Loveless Lake
Where is Loveless Lake?
- Loveless Lake is a lake in Macoupin County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Loveless Lake?
- Loveless Lake in Macoupin County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 82 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 37.3 µg/L.
Is Loveless 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 Loveless Lake?
- Loveless Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in October, from 341 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2014–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Loveless Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Loveless Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 29 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Can I fish at Loveless Lake?
- Public access to Loveless Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Loveless Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
54 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX54 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- 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)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)