GreatAmericanLakes

Beach · Lake Michigan · Illinois

Lake Bluff Dog Beach

A public beach on Lake Michigan in Lake County, Illinois, about 310 feet of shore. The state samples the water for bacteria twice a month through a 101-day swim season.

Chart of Lake Bluff Dog Beach on Lake Michigan, with neighboring beaches markedLake Bluff Sunrise BeachLake Forest Forest Park BeachNorth Chicago Foss Park BeachHighland Park Moraine Park Dog BeachWaukegan South BeachHighland Park Avenue Boating BeachLake Bluff Dog Beach

The beach

On the record

Water
Lake Michigan
Location
Lake County, Illinois
Length
about 310 feet
Owner
Public
Access
Public Access
Water sampling
Yes — twice a month in the swim season
Swim season
101 days, as reported
Monitoring tier
Tier 2 (Tier 1 is highest)
Water quality standard
E. coli, geometric mean: 300 CFU per 100 mL
EPA beach ID
IL161705
Coordinates
42.2800° N, 87.8300° W to 42.2790° N, 87.8290° W

As the state reported it to EPA for the 2025 season. Sampling schedules change year to year. How beach monitoring works →

Down the shore

Nearest Michigan beaches

  1. Lake Bluff Sunrise Beach0.1 mi · sampled · IL
  2. Lake Forest Forest Park Beach1.7 mi · sampled · IL
  3. North Chicago Foss Park Beach3.2 mi · IL
  4. Highland Park Moraine Park Dog Beach5.8 mi · sampled · IL
  5. Waukegan South Beach5.9 mi · sampled · IL
  6. Highland Park Avenue Boating Beach6.6 mi · sampled · IL

Straight-line distance.

On the horizon

Lighthouses nearby

On shore nearby

Worth the stop

Source

Facts on this page are from the EPA BEACON profile for beach IL161705, the record Illinois files under the federal BEACH Act, retrieved 2026-10-10. The county is placed from the beach’s own coordinates. A blank field means the record is silent. Parking, fees, lifeguards and dog rules are set by whoever runs the beach; check with them before you go.

Chart shoreline generalized from Natural Earth (public domain). Not for navigation. Something wrong or missing? Write to contact@greatamericanlakes.com.