Sam Dale Lake
Wayne County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sam Dale Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Sam Dale Lake in Wayne County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 206 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 95.2 µg/L.
Sam Dale Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Wayne County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Wayne County, Sam Dale Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2021-10-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sam Dale Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
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. Sam Dale Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sam Dale 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 Sam Dale Lake
These are the measurements Illinois EPA publishes for Sam Dale Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 206 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 95.2 µg/L. TSI 77.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 206µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 95.2µg/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. | 77 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Sam Dale Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sam Dale Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 88°F) and coldest in Oct (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (88°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 96 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sam Dale Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~43 ft est.
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 Sam Dale Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
158 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
472 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
- Sam Dale LakePublic
- Sam Dale LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sam Dale Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sam Dale Lake in Wayne 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 Sam Dale Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Sam Dale Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 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 Sam Dale Lake → · more Illinois lake trips
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Fishing Sam Dale Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sam Dale Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sam Dale Lake Dam (completed 1960), built primarily for recreation on the BOBBS CREEK; earth-type dam, 22 ft tall and 912 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 999 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,385 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00406 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Sam Dale 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: Fish consumption, Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RBF · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Sam Dale Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Trunkline Gas CompanyJohnsonville · 3.4 mi away · NPDES IL0004294Recent 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 Wayne County
Frequently asked questions about Sam Dale Lake
Where is Sam Dale Lake?
- Sam Dale Lake is a lake in Wayne County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sam Dale Lake?
- Sam Dale Lake in Wayne County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 206 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 95.2 µg/L.
Is Sam Dale Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sam Dale Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sam Dale Lake?
- Sam Dale Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in October, from 96 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sam Dale Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Sam Dale Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 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 Sam Dale Lake?
- Sam Dale Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sam Dale Lake, Sam Dale Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sam Dale Lake?
- Sam Dale Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Sam Dale Lake across LakeQuality
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Illinois
Where this data comes from
52 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_WQX52 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- 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