What is the water quality grade for Sam Dale Lake?

Sam Dale Lake in Wayne County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Water clarity: 1.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 137 µg/L.

Is Sam Dale Lake safe to swim in?

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

Sam Dale Lake

Wayne County, WisconsinHypereutrophic

Sam Dale Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Wayne County, IL. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2021. 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, local state DNR records, last sampled 2021-10-19. 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 1.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 137 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 75.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	1.2 ft	F
Phosphorus	137 µg/L	F
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)	75	Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Wayne County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Sam Dale Lake holds Grade F. 4 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Wayne County

More Wisconsin Lake Rankings

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Top 25 by overall water quality score

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Grade A/B + low algae filter

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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)

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

Algal growthMercuryNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RBF · 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: 2021-10-19

Monitoring stations: 3