Leelanau County Lake Quality
Michigan, 13 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Leelanau County has 13 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. With an average grade of B, Leelanau County sits comfortably above the Michigan median.
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. South Bar Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Leelanau County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for South Bar Lake — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.
Fishing in Leelanau County
All Lakes in Leelanau County
13 lakes · 9 graded, 4 not rated9 graded lakes · 4 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ASouth Bar LakeLeelanau | A | 8.5 ft | 14 µg/L | 3.8 µg/L | No recent samples | 13 ft | Not recorded |
| 2 | ALake LeelanauLeelanau | A | 16 ft | 10 µg/L | 1.1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 3 | ABrooks LakeLeelanau | A | 9.5 ft | 10 µg/L | 3.2 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 4 | AFisher LakeLeelanau | A | No recent samples | 10 µg/L | 1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 5 | BFlorence LakeLeelanau | B | 8.2 ft | 16.6 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 6 | BNorth Bar LakeLeelanau | B | 12.7 ft | 9.3 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 7 | BBass LakeLeelanau | B | 11.2 ft | 10.7 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 8 | BShell LakeLeelanau | B | 11.4 ft | 10.7 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 12 ft | Not recorded |
| 9 | BManitou LakeLeelanau | B | 13.3 ft | 13.1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRGlen LakeLeelanau | NR | 16 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 130 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRLake LeelanauLeelanau | NR | 13.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 62 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRArmstrong LakeLeelanau | NR | 11.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRLime LakeLeelanau | NR | 13 ft | 5 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | 67 ft | Not recorded |
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 Leelanau 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.