Woods Creek Lake
McHenry County, Illinois9 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #2 of 5 in the county
- 36 ft max depth
- Limited data
Woods Creek Lake in McHenry County, Illinois has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 52 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.4 µg/L. Surface area: 9.3 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.9 ft
- Typical in October
- 62°F
- Max depth
- ~36 ft est.
- Area
- 9 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 52 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 19.4 µg/L
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Watch Woods Creek Lake’s letter
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Woods Creek Lake is a 9-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in McHenry County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 36 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in McHenry County, Woods Creek Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2022-10-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Woods Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pesticides, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 52 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 19.4 µg/L. TSI 59. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 52 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 19.4 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Woods Creek Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 93 field readings (2022–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Woods Creek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~36 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 9 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Illinois has not published bathymetry for Woods Creek Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing Woods Creek Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Woods Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake In The Hills Dam 1 (completed 1926), built primarily for recreation on the WOODS CREEK; earth-type dam, 40 ft tall and 780 ft long.
- Surface area
- 9.3 ac
- Normal storage
- 598 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 969 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- VILLAGE OF LAKE IN THE HILLS
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00568 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.51 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Woods Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RTZZ · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Woods Creek Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 4 classified by the EPA as major dischargers. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Lake In The Hills Sd StpLake In The Hills · 0.8 mi away · NPDES IL0021733MajorRecent violation
- Crystal Lake Wwtp #2, City OfCrystal Lake · 2 mi away · NPDES IL0028282MajorRecent violation
- Algonquin Wwtp, Village OfAlgonquin · 2.5 mi away · NPDES IL0023329MajorRecent violation
- Huntley East Wwtp, Village OfHuntley · 5 mi away · NPDES IL0029238MajorRecent violation
- Camp Algonquin StpAlgonquin · 2.9 mi away · NPDES IL0031917
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 5 lakes in McHenry County
Nearby Lakes in McHenry County
Frequently asked questions about Woods Creek Lake
Where is Woods Creek Lake?
- Woods Creek Lake is a lake in McHenry County, Illinois. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Woods Creek Lake?
- Woods Creek Lake in McHenry County, Illinois has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 52 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.4 µg/L. Surface area: 9.3 acres.
Is Woods Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Woods Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pesticides, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Woods Creek Lake?
- Woods Creek Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October, from 93 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Woods Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Woods Creek Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 36 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 9.3 acres.
Explore Woods Creek Lake across LakeQuality
3.8 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Where this data comes from
44 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX44 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- Temperature
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)