Twin Lakes Recreation Area (Donut Lake) - Palatine, IL
Twin Lakes Recreation Area Photo Gallery
Twin Lakes Facts
Size: 12.19 acres (Donut Lake)
Shoreline: .62 miles
Location: Rt. 53 and Northwest Hwy in Palatine, IL. Address is 1200 E. Twin Lakes Drive, Palatine, IL 60074. Enter via Creekside Drive to Twin Lakes Drive (Creekside is 1 block north of 53 off of Northwest Hwy)
Fish: Largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow bass, channel catfish, tiger musky, sunfish, carp
2013 Fishing Fees
Daily
Family: $5.00 resident; $9.00 non-resident
Adult: $3.00 resident; $5.00 non-resident
Youth: $3.00 resident; $3.00 non-resident
Season pass: $23.00 resident; $34.00 non-resident
(Residency is considered southeast corner of palatine, northwest portion of Rolling Meadows and small section in west central Arlington Heights). Please refer to their website here for specifics.
Jay's General Comments
The Twin Lakes Recreation Area is a lovely place located right near Northwest Hwy and Rt. 53 in Palatine, IL. It features two lakes - one for fishing (Donut Lake) and one with a golf course and driving range (Lake Irene). No fishing is available on Lake Irene. This former borrow pit has been converted into a nice 12+ acre lake with lots of recreation surrounding the lake. They have a great pavilion area with the concession/pro shop and patio area that extends out over the lake. Just about the entire .62 mile shoreline is accessible for fishing with exception of the "rocks" section adjacent to Rt 53 on the south central part of the lake. A fishing pass from the Salt Creek Park District is required to fish here. Please see fee schedule above.
I fished Donut lake on a somewhat regular basis almost 10 years ago but have only wet a line a time or two since. There is actually some decent fishing for largemouth bass. I've seen bass of 18" and i'm sure there are a decent amount of similar sized ones in there. Believe it or not, this small lake also has tiger musky. Yes, you read that correctly. I haven't been able to get numbers yet, but it has been stocked with tiger musky for a number of years. Here's a nice one posted on WCF a few years ago which was 40"+. In fact, the musky are tagged and if you catch one and report it to the office, you get a free round of golf. No kidding!
There fishing guide mentions smallmouth bass, but I don't know how accurate that is. It's strange the way it's listed, but I don't think there are any in there. The guide also mentions northern pike, which again i'm not sure are present in the lake. Largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill and the tiger musky for sure.
There's boat rentals available which are nice 14 foot aluminum boats and for the first time come with a trolling motor and battery. Paddleboats are also available for rental. The fishing boat rental casts are as follows, per their fishing guide, but please call ahead (847-934-6050) for additional information as this is exactly how it appears on their fishing guide...
1 hour per boat $8.00
2 hours per boat $11.00
3-6 hours per boat $20.00
Bringing your own boat is not permitted.
With a 2013 season pass purchased, i'm looking forward to doing quite a bit of fishing at Twin Lake this season. The park and lake are open until 10pm which is very nice. Provides a good opportunity for late evening fishing. It's also a beautiful place to bring kids with a nice playground and very clean accommodations. The concession stand building offers a nice grill and food, clean bathrooms and a very nice proshop for golfers.
Twin Lakes Location
Donut Lake - Twin Lakes Recreation Area - Google My Maps
View Donut Lake - Twin Lakes Recreation Area in a larger map
Twin Lakes Recreation Area Photo Gallery
Twin Lakes Facts
Size: 12.19 acres (Donut Lake)
Shoreline: .62 miles
Location: Rt. 53 and Northwest Hwy in Palatine, IL. Address is 1200 E. Twin Lakes Drive, Palatine, IL 60074. Enter via Creekside Drive to Twin Lakes Drive (Creekside is 1 block north of 53 off of Northwest Hwy)
Fish: Largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow bass, channel catfish, tiger musky, sunfish, carp
2013 Fishing Fees
Daily
Family: $5.00 resident; $9.00 non-resident
Adult: $3.00 resident; $5.00 non-resident
Youth: $3.00 resident; $3.00 non-resident
Season pass: $23.00 resident; $34.00 non-resident
(Residency is considered southeast corner of palatine, northwest portion of Rolling Meadows and small section in west central Arlington Heights). Please refer to their website here for specifics.
Jay's General Comments
The Twin Lakes Recreation Area is a lovely place located right near Northwest Hwy and Rt. 53 in Palatine, IL. It features two lakes - one for fishing (Donut Lake) and one with a golf course and driving range (Lake Irene). No fishing is available on Lake Irene. This former borrow pit has been converted into a nice 12+ acre lake with lots of recreation surrounding the lake. They have a great pavilion area with the concession/pro shop and patio area that extends out over the lake. Just about the entire .62 mile shoreline is accessible for fishing with exception of the "rocks" section adjacent to Rt 53 on the south central part of the lake. A fishing pass from the Salt Creek Park District is required to fish here. Please see fee schedule above.
I fished Donut lake on a somewhat regular basis almost 10 years ago but have only wet a line a time or two since. There is actually some decent fishing for largemouth bass. I've seen bass of 18" and i'm sure there are a decent amount of similar sized ones in there. Believe it or not, this small lake also has tiger musky. Yes, you read that correctly. I haven't been able to get numbers yet, but it has been stocked with tiger musky for a number of years. Here's a nice one posted on WCF a few years ago which was 40"+. In fact, the musky are tagged and if you catch one and report it to the office, you get a free round of golf. No kidding!
There fishing guide mentions smallmouth bass, but I don't know how accurate that is. It's strange the way it's listed, but I don't think there are any in there. The guide also mentions northern pike, which again i'm not sure are present in the lake. Largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill and the tiger musky for sure.
There's boat rentals available which are nice 14 foot aluminum boats and for the first time come with a trolling motor and battery. Paddleboats are also available for rental. The fishing boat rental casts are as follows, per their fishing guide, but please call ahead (847-934-6050) for additional information as this is exactly how it appears on their fishing guide...
1 hour per boat $8.00
2 hours per boat $11.00
3-6 hours per boat $20.00
Bringing your own boat is not permitted.
With a 2013 season pass purchased, i'm looking forward to doing quite a bit of fishing at Twin Lake this season. The park and lake are open until 10pm which is very nice. Provides a good opportunity for late evening fishing. It's also a beautiful place to bring kids with a nice playground and very clean accommodations. The concession stand building offers a nice grill and food, clean bathrooms and a very nice proshop for golfers.
Twin Lakes Location
Donut Lake - Twin Lakes Recreation Area - Google My Maps
View Donut Lake - Twin Lakes Recreation Area in a larger map