Middle Chain Lake
Hancock County, MaineView mapDirections
Maine DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Middle Chain Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Limited data
Middle Chain Lake in Hancock County, Maine has water-quality measurements published by Maine DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L.
Middle Chain Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Hancock County, Maine. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Hancock County, Middle Chain Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2022-07-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Middle Chain Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.1 ft of visibility
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 Middle Chain Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Middle Chain Lake
These are the measurements Maine DEP publishes for Middle Chain Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 38 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Middle Chain Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Stays near Middle Chain Lake
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Fishing Middle Chain Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.75 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable0 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Hancock County
Frequently asked questions about Middle Chain Lake
Where is Middle Chain Lake?
- Middle Chain Lake is a lake in Hancock County, Maine. Its water-quality measurements are published by Maine DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Middle Chain Lake?
- Middle Chain Lake in Hancock County, Maine has water-quality measurements published by Maine DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L.
Is Middle Chain Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Middle Chain Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Maine
Other Lakes in Maine
Mesotrophic Lakes in Maine
Where this data comes from
25 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples25 samples · 2020–2022
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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.