Beach Monitoring and Advisories

Beaches Monitored from Memorial Day through Labor Day

From May to September, the Health Department's Lakes Management Unit samples Lake Michigan beaches 4 days a week. Beaches on inland lakes are tested biweekly (2 times per month). The water samples are tested for E coli bacteria, which are found in the intestines of almost all warm-blooded animals. While not all strains of E coli are the same, certain strains can make humans sick if ingested in high enough concentrations.

IBSP North3 (1)
Inland Beaches
Lake Michigan
Monitoring Schedule

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

Inland Beach Advisories

green
Low Bacteria Level
No Advisory

All other inland beaches not listed below are currently open

yellow
Elevated Bacteria Level
Caution swimming advisory

red
High Bacteria Level
No swimming is advised
None 
Additional Beach Closings
None

Updated Friday, September 1, 2023

Lake Michigan Beach Advisories

Bacteria Level Key

greenLow
No advisory		greenElevated
Caution swimming advisory		green
High
No swimming is advised
Lake Michigan BeachesStatus
 Forest Park Beach
Foss Park Beach
Illinois Beach State Park North Beach 
Illinois Beach State Park Resort Beach
Illinois Beach State Park South Beach
Lake Bluff Dog Beachgreen
Lake Bluff Sunrise Beach
Moraine Dog Beach green
North Point Marina Beach
Nunn Beach (Great Lakes), Friday - Sunday onlygreen
Park Avenue Boating Facility
Rosewood Beach
Waukegan North Beach
Waukegan South Beach

Updated Friday, September 1, 2023