Closures

If water samples come back high for E coli (235 E coli/100 ml), the management body for the bathing beach is notified and a sign is posted indicating the beach closure. Additionally, since rain events tend to lead to elevated bacteria levels in the water column, we advise that people avoid swimming after a large rain event.

Two of these beaches are monitored through the utilization of SwimCast systems, which provide staff members and beach operators with real-time conditions, allowing for the most accurate and timely decisions regarding the health of Lake County beaches. SwimCast measures air and water temperature, wind speed and direction, precipitation, relative humidity, wave height, lake stage, insolation (light energy) and other water quality parameters to help predict when E coli levels are low enough to indicate safe swimming conditions or high enough to call for a swim ban.

Note: Per the Illinois Swimming Code, there is no swimming at dog beaches.

Current and Historic Beach Data:  http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/ilbeaches/public/

Beach Safety:  Check for the most recent beach hazards, including high waves: https://www.weather.gov/greatlakes/beachhazards