Barry County Lake Quality
Michigan, 11 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)
Barry County has 11 graded 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. The county's average grade is A — among the cleanest in Michigan. 2 lakes pull an A on their own, and almost none fall into the D or F brackets.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Duncan Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Barry County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Duncan Lake — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.
Fishing in Barry County
All Lakes in Barry County
11 lakes · 2 graded, 9 not rated2 graded lakes · 9 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ADuncan LakeBarry | A | 3.5 ft | 36.5 µg/L | 4.2 µg/L | No recent samples | 55 ft | Not recorded |
| 2 | ALittle Long LakeBarry | A | 13 ft | 10 µg/L | 2.2 µg/L | No recent samples | 30 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRBristol LakeBarry | NR | 8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 40 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRCrooked LakeBarry | NR | 12 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRPayne LakeBarry | NR | 10.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 43 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRCobb LakeBarry | NR | 14.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRWall LakeBarry | NR | 10 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 36 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRBarlow LakeBarry | NR | 11 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 60 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRJordan LakeBarry | NR | 7.5 ft | 16 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRLong LakeBarry | NR | 11 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRCarter LakeBarry | NR | 4 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 20 ft | ✓ Public |
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.
Lake Match
Which lake suits how you actually use one?
Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in Michigan
See how Barry County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.