Paradise Lake
Coles County, Illinois174 acresView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for Paradise Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Paradise Lake in Coles County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 215.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.3 µg/L. Surface area: 174 acres.
Paradise Lake is a 174-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Coles County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Coles County, Paradise Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2021-10-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Paradise Lake covers about 170 acres in Coles County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Paradise Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Paradise Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. Paradise Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Paradise 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 Paradise Lake
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Paradise 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 215.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 42.3 µg/L. TSI 74.
| 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 | 216µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 42.3µg/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. | 74 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Paradise Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Paradise Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Apr (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 230 field readings (2012–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Paradise Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~45 ft est.
Surface area
174 acres
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 Paradise Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
17 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
682 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.
Recreation & Access
- Lake ParadisePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Paradise Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Paradise Lake in Coles 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 Paradise Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Paradise Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Paradise Lake → · more Illinois lake trips
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Fishing Paradise Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Paradise Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Paradise Lake Dam (completed 1929), built primarily for recreation on the LITTLE WABASH RIVER; earth-type dam, 46 ft tall and 1,400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 174 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,350 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,834 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 16.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF MATTOON
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00710 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Paradise Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RCG · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Paradise Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Koch Fertilizer, Llc-Trilla TerminalMattoon · 4.2 mi away · NPDES IL0077461Recent 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.
Nearby Lakes in Coles County
Frequently asked questions about Paradise Lake
Where is Paradise Lake?
- Paradise Lake is a lake in Coles County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Paradise Lake?
- Paradise Lake in Coles County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 215.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.3 µg/L. Surface area: 174 acres.
Is Paradise Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Paradise Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Paradise Lake?
- Paradise Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in October, from 230 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Paradise Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Paradise Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 174 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Paradise Lake?
- Paradise Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Paradise. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Paradise Lake?
- Paradise Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Paradise Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
50 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_WQX50 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
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