Lac Donlon
Manicouagan, QuébecView mapDirections
This is MELCCFP's own trophic classification for 2025, not a LakeQuality grade. See every year
- 76 ft max depth
Lac Donlon in Manicouagan, Québec is classified zone de transition méso-eutrophe by Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (Québec) for 2025. Water clarity: 2.1 m visibility. Phosphorus: 6.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L.
Lac Donlon is a lake in Manicouagan County, Québec with an estimated average depth of about 76 feet.
Source: Québec RSVL (MELCCFP) — not the EPA Water Quality Portal, last sampled 2025-08-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingNot rated
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lac Donlon is safe to swim in today is a call for le Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lac Donlon
These are the measurements MELCCFP publishes for Lac Donlon, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 6.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.9 µg/L.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.1m | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 6.2µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.9µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
Ask about Lac Donlon
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~23.2 m est.
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Québec has not published bathymetry for Lac Donlon.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
18 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
210 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.7 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
610 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lac Donlon
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lac Donlon in Manicouagan, Québec — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Lac Donlon
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Follow Lac Donlon’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lac Donlon
Nearby Lakes in Manicouagan
Frequently asked questions about Lac Donlon
Where is Lac Donlon?
- Lac Donlon is a lake in Manicouagan, Québec. MELCCFP classifies it zone de transition méso-eutrophe for 2025. This is MELCCFP's own trophic classification for 2025, not a LakeQuality grade.
What is the water quality of Lac Donlon?
- Lac Donlon in Manicouagan, Québec is classified zone de transition méso-eutrophe by Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (Québec) for 2025. Water clarity: 2.1 m visibility. Phosphorus: 6.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L.
Is Lac Donlon safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lac Donlon?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lac Donlon, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 76 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Lac Donlon across LakeQuality
More lakes in Québec
Other Lakes in Québec
The authority’s own classification
Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (Québec) publishes its own classification for Lac Donlon. It is shown here as theirs, in their words, and is not folded into the LakeQuality letter.
This is MELCCFP's own trophic classification for 2025, not a LakeQuality grade.
A trophic class ranks how nutrient-rich a lake is, from oligotrophic at the low end to eutrophic at the high end. It describes nutrients and plant growth, not bacteria, and it is not a swimming clearance.
Earlier years (13 classified 2013–2025)
| Year | Published class |
|---|---|
| 2023 | classe eutrophe |
| 2022 | classe mésotrophe |
| 2021 | classe mésotrophe |
| 2020 | zone de transition méso-eutrophe |
| 2019 | classe eutrophe |
| 2018 | zone de transition méso-eutrophe |
| 2017 | zone de transition méso-eutrophe |
| 2016 | classe eutrophe |
| 2015 | classe oligotrophe |
| 2014 | classe oligotrophe |
| 2013 | zone de transition méso-eutrophe |
Published by Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (Québec). A classification is not a same-day swimming clearance. See data sources.
Where this data comes from
Measurements for Lac Donlon come from the Réseau de surveillance volontaire des lacs (RSVL), not the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake. MELCCFP RSVL (CC BY 4.0). See data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)