Wayne County Lake Quality
Illinois, 6 lakes, average grade D (Nutrient-rich)
Wayne County has 6 monitored lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. 3 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. On average, Wayne County lakes grade D, with phosphorus loading and reduced clarity showing up across most of the dataset.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Wayne City Lake (C); the most-stressed is Sam Dale Lake (F).
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Quick Answers for Wayne County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Wayne City Lake — or check the official Illinois fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Wayne County
6 lakes · 3 graded, 3 not rated3 graded lakes · 3 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CWayne City LakeWayne | C | 2.1 ft | 53 µg/L | 19.5 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | FSam Dale LakeWayne | F | 1.2 ft | 206 µg/L | 95.2 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 3 | FFairfield LakeWayne | F | 1.3 ft | 148 µg/L | 35.4 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRBurkitt-Laws LakeWayne | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRRobinson LakeWayne | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRGoose PondWayne | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
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Other Counties in Illinois
See how Wayne County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.