Kalamazoo County Lake Quality
Michigan, 9 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Kalamazoo County has 9 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-wide average lands at B — solid water quality with most lakes carrying clear summer transparency and low-to-moderate phosphorus.
A meaningful share of Kalamazoo's lakes break 50 feet of depth, which matters because deep lakes hold cooler water all summer and resist the resuspended-sediment problems that plague shallow basins. The county's best-graded lake is Indian Lake (A).
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Quick Answers for Kalamazoo County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Indian Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.
Fishing in Kalamazoo County
All Lakes in Kalamazoo County
9 lakes · 4 graded, 5 not rated4 graded lakes · 5 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AIndian LakeKalamazoo | A | 9.5 ft | 10 µg/L | 2.8 µg/L | No recent samples | 75 ft | Not recorded |
| 2 | ABarton LakeKalamazoo | A | 8 ft | 13 µg/L | 6.6 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 3 | CIndian LakeKalamazoo | C | 7.2 ft | 37.5 µg/L | 2.2 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 4 | DBoot LakeKalamazoo | D | 7 ft | 46 µg/L | 1.6 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRGull LakeKalamazoo | NR | 13 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 110 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRWoods LakeKalamazoo | NR | 7 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRBarton LakeKalamazoo | NR | 8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRPaw Paw LakeKalamazoo | NR | 9 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 50 ft | Not recorded | |
| NROatman LakeKalamazoo | NR | No recent samples | 82 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 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 Kalamazoo 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.