Several thousand workers moved four million yards of earth to recontour the land, creating the artificial lagoons of today.

According to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, "The massive effort was the largest CCC project in the nation.

[7] The 2008 Illinois EPA assessment of the water in Skokie Lagoons listed "Fish Consumption" and "Aesthetic Quality" as "Not Supporting" due to mercury, total suspended solids, phosphorus, aquatic plants and algae.

Fish present are bass, walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie, and bullheads.

At present, paddleboarding and sailboarding are not allowed on Forest Preserve of Cook County lakes, due to water quality issues.