South Pond
Cook County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
South Pond in Cook County, Illinois is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near South Pond
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near South Pond in Cook 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.
Top-rated places to stay near South Pond
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 whole trip? See where to stay at Illinois’s top lakes →
Watch South Pond’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why South Pond has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For South Pond, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by Illinois EPA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
South Pond is a lake in Cook County, Illinois.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2023-05-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. South Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for South Pond
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Fishing South Pond
EPA Impairment Status
South Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_QZK · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.23 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
23 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of South Pond under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 9 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- River East Plaza Fka North Pier TerminalChicago · 2 mi away · NPDES IL0066605Recent violation
- Centrio Chicago Llc - Plant 5Chicago · 2 mi away · NPDES IL0037613Recent violation
- 300 North Lasalle LlcChicago · 2 mi away · NPDES IL0077810Recent violation
- Trump International Hotel And TowerChicago · 2 mi away · NPDES IL0079812Recent violation
- Lasalle Wacker BldgChicago · 2.1 mi away · NPDES IL0002054Recent violation
- Illinois Center - One BuildingChicago · 2.2 mi away · NPDES IL0026531Recent 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 Cook County
Frequently asked questions about South Pond
Where is South Pond?
- South Pond is a lake in Cook County, Illinois. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for South Pond?
- South Pond in Cook County, Illinois is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
Is South Pond safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. South Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore South Pond across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Indiana Dunes?
South Pond is about 34 miles from Indiana Dunes National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Indiana Dunes →More Illinois Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Illinois
Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Illinois Water Science Center
USGS-IL1 sample · 2023
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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)