Doughnut Lake
Cook County, IllinoisView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Limited data
Doughnut Lake in Cook County, Illinois is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 5 ft
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Watch Doughnut Lake’s letter
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Why Doughnut Lake has no grade
Doughnut Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Doughnut Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 5-foot median from 1 readings collected 2022 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by Illinois EPA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Doughnut Lake is a lake in Cook County, Illinois.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2022-09-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Doughnut Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. TSI 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Fishing Doughnut Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Doughnut Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Upper Salt Creek Structure 4 Dam (completed 1987), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the SALT CREEK; earth-type dam, 14 ft tall and 3,000 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 775 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL50054 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.27 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Doughnut Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Palatine Gas Station StpPalatine · 3.6 mi away · NPDES IL0080200Recent violation
- Alden Long Grove Rehabilitation Center StpLong Grove · 4.3 mi away · NPDES IL0051934Recent violation
- Arlington Internatl RacecourseArlington Heights · 0.5 mi away · NPDES IL0063487
- Yard 1035 Rolling MeadowsRolling Meadows · 0.7 mi away · NPDES IL0066427
- Camp Reinberg StpPalatine · 3.5 mi away · NPDES IL0048542
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Graded lakes near Doughnut Lake
Doughnut Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Doughnut Lake
Where is Doughnut Lake?
- Doughnut Lake is a lake in Cook County, Illinois. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Doughnut Lake?
- Doughnut Lake in Cook County, Illinois is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility.
Is Doughnut Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Doughnut Lake across LakeQuality
More Illinois Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Illinois
Eutrophic Lakes in Illinois
Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Illinois Water Science Center
USGS-IL1 sample · 2022
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)