Newton Lake
Jasper County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 64 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Newton Lake in Jasper County, Illinois has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 116 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 46.8 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~64 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 116 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 46.8 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Newton Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Newton Lake in Jasper 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Newton Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Newton Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 Newton Lake → · more Illinois lake trips
Watch Newton Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Newton Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Jasper County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 64 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2022-10-20. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Newton Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Newton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 116 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 46.8 µg/L. TSI 70. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 116 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 46.8 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~64 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~37 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Illinois has not published bathymetry for Newton Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Recreation & Access
- Newton LakePublic
- Newton LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Newton Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Newton Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Newton Station Ash Pond, built primarily for other on the NEWTON LAKE, 22 ft tall and 2,400 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Significant
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL50719 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.8 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Newton Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RCR · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Newton Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Illinois Power Generating CompanyNewton · 1.5 mi away · NPDES IL0049191MajorRecent violation
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Jasper County
Nearby Lakes in Jasper County
Frequently asked questions about Newton Lake
Where is Newton Lake?
- Newton Lake is a lake in Jasper County, Illinois. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Newton Lake?
- Newton Lake in Jasper County, Illinois has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 116 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 46.8 µg/L.
Is Newton Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Newton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Newton Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Newton Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 64 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Newton Lake?
- Newton Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Newton Lake, Newton Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Newton Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Illinois's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Illinois's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Illinois Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Illinois
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Illinois
Where this data comes from
50 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX50 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory