What is the water quality grade for Salem Lake?

Salem Lake in Marion County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 197 µg/L. Surface area: 78 acres.

Is Salem Lake safe to swim in?

Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins. Salem Lake has an overall water quality grade of F. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Salem Lake

Marion County, WisconsinHypereutrophic

Salem Lake is a 78-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Marion County, IL. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Marion County, Salem Lake ranks #4 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2022-10-19. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins

Water Quality Grade: F, Very Poor

Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 197 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 79.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	1 ft	F
Phosphorus	197 µg/L	F
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)	79	Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Surface Area	78 acres

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #4 of 6 lakes in Marion County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Salem Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Marion County

More Wisconsin Lake Rankings

Cleanest lakes in Wisconsin

Top 25 by overall water quality score

Best swimming lakes in Wisconsin

Grade A/B + low algae filter

Family fishing lakes in Wisconsin

Panfish-rich, public access

All Wisconsin lakes

Full state directory

Other Grade F Lakes in Wisconsin

Lake Charlemagne

Cook County · Clarity: 2 ft

Bode Lake North

Cook County · Clarity: 1.5 ft

Great Lakes Quarries West

Cook County · Clarity: 2.5 ft

Bull Frog Lake

Cook County · Clarity: 3 ft

Belly Deep Slough Lake

Cook County · Clarity: 0.7 ft

Sauk Lake

Cook County · Clarity: 1 ft

Hypereutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Bode Lake North Belly Deep Slough Lake Sauk Lake Washington Park Lagoon Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Salem Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Salem Reservoir Dam (completed 1912), built primarily for recreation on the TOWN CREEK; earth-type dam, 21 ft tall and 775 ft long.

Surface area: 78 ac
Normal storage: 388 ac-ft
Max storage: 900 ac-ft
Drainage area: 3.9 sq mi
Hazard class: High
Owner: CITY OF SALEM

All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00245 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Salem 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)Oxygen depletion (low DO)pH / acidityTurbidity

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_ROR · 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: 2022-10-19

Monitoring stations: 3