What is the water quality grade for Marie Lake?

Marie Lake in Lake County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of D (Poor). Water clarity: 2.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 69 µg/L.

Is Marie Lake safe to swim in?

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk. Marie Lake has an overall water quality grade of D. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Marie Lake

Lake County, WisconsinEutrophic

Marie Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lake County, IL. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Marie Lake ranks #15 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2022-10-25. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Water Quality Grade: D, Poor

Very murky, less than 2.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 69 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 64.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	2.7 ft	F
Phosphorus	69 µg/L	D
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)	64	Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #15 of 16 lakes in Lake County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Marie Lake holds Grade D. 5 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Lake County

Loch Lomond Lake

Lake County

Csmi 2015 Station Eg Lake

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Top 25 by overall water quality score

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Other Grade D Lakes in Wisconsin

Lake Opeka

Cook County · Clarity: 4 ft

Consumers Quarry Lake

Cook County · Clarity: 6.5 ft

Lake Arlington

Cook County · Clarity: 4.5 ft

Great Lakes Quarries East

Cook County · Clarity: 4.5 ft

Flatfoot Lake

Cook County · Clarity: 6 ft

Papoose Lake

Cook County · Clarity: 5 ft

Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Lake Opeka Consumers Quarry Lake Lake Charlemagne Lake Arlington

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Marie Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Coopers Farm Sediment Storage Dam, built primarily for debris control on the LAKE MARIE - OFFSTREAM; earth-type dam, 13 ft tall and 2,500 ft long.

Normal storage: 0 ac-ft
Max storage: 6 ac-ft
Drainage area: 0.1 sq mi
Hazard class: High
Owner: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL55139 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.96 km)

EPA Impairment Status

Marie Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

MercuryNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)PCBs

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RTR · Official waterbody report

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2022-10-25

Monitoring stations: 2