Syracuse Lake
Kosciusko County, IndianaView mapDirections
IDEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Syracuse Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 48 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Syracuse Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana has water-quality measurements published by IDEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.3 µg/L.
Syracuse Lake is a lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana with an estimated average depth of about 48 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, IDEM, last sampled 2021-08-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Syracuse Lake has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Syracuse Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Syracuse Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Syracuse Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Syracuse Lake
These are the measurements IDEM publishes for Syracuse Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.8 ft. Phosphorus 13.3 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13.3µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Syracuse Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Syracuse Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Jun (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (72°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2012–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Syracuse Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~48 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by IDEM
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Indiana has not published bathymetry for Syracuse Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
33 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
376 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
850 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 SyracusePublic
- Main Channel MarinaSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Syracuse Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Syracuse Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana — 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 Syracuse Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Syracuse Lake → · more Indiana lake trips
Follow Syracuse Lake’s readings
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Fishing Syracuse Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-12.2 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.2 µg/L/yr2 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
37 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Syracuse Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Syracuse, Town OfSyracuse · 1.1 mi away · NPDES IN0021172MajorRecent violation
- Syracuse Rubber Products IncSyracuse · 0.6 mi away · NPDES IN0000809
- Omc Aluminum Boat GroupSyracuse · 0.6 mi away · NPDES IN0056146
- Aia CountertopsSyracuse · 0.6 mi away · NPDES INRM01955
- Mdk (Former Red D Mart)Syracuse · 0.7 mi away · NPDES ING080243
- Syracuse Rubber Products, Inc.Syracuse · 0.8 mi away · NPDES ING250037
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 Kosciusko County
Frequently asked questions about Syracuse Lake
Where is Syracuse Lake?
- Syracuse Lake is a lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana. Its water-quality measurements are published by IDEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Syracuse Lake?
- Syracuse Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana has water-quality measurements published by IDEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.3 µg/L.
Is Syracuse Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Syracuse Lake?
- Syracuse Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in September, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Syracuse Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Syracuse Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 48 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 Syracuse Lake?
- Syracuse Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Syracuse, Main Channel Marina. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Syracuse Lake?
- Syracuse 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 Indiana's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Syracuse Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Indiana's top lakes, each with its readings
Indiana's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS11 samples · 2021
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
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