Kalkaska County Lake Quality

Michigan, 16 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)

Kalkaska County's 16 graded lakes fall in the moderate-density bracket for Michigan. The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. On average, Kalkaska County lakes grade an A. That puts it near the top of the Michigan county ranking.

Many of the county's lakes are deep glacial basins — over 50 feet at their deepest point — which gives them thermal stratification and a buffer against summer warming. Eagle Lake (grade A) is the cleanest in the county.

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Quick Answers for Kalkaska County

Cleanest lakes in Kalkaska County →Cleanest lakes in Michigan →Safest swimming lakes in Michigan →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Eagle Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.

Fishing in Kalkaska County

Kalkaska County Fishing Guide

Fish species and best-graded lakes in Kalkaska County

All Lakes in Kalkaska County

16 lakes · 4 graded, 12 not rated4 graded lakes · 12 not rated, hidden

Include not-rated lakes (12)

#	Lake	Grade	Clarity	Phosphorus	Algae	Trophic	Max Depth	Access
1	AEagle LakeKalkaska	A	18 ft	10 µg/L	1.3 µg/L	No recent samples	20 ft	Not recorded
2	ABig Blue LakeKalkaska	A	24 ft	10 µg/L	1.3 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
3	ABig Twin LakeKalkaska	A	23 ft	8 µg/L	1.6 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
4	BPapoose LakeKalkaska	B	22 ft	10 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	17 ft	Not recorded
	NRLittle Twin LakeKalkaska	NR	21 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	31 ft	Not recorded
	NRIndian LakeKalkaska	NR	13.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRBlue LakeKalkaska	NR	24 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	80 ft	✓ Public
	NRBear LakeKalkaska	NR	30 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	50 ft	Not recorded
	NRNorth Crooked LakeKalkaska	NR	14 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRTwin LakeKalkaska	NR	23 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	80 ft	✓ Public
	NRStarvation LakeKalkaska	NR	21.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	47 ft	Not recorded
	NRNorth Blue LakeKalkaska	NR	19 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	78 ft	Not recorded
	NRPickerel LakeKalkaska	NR	20 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	72 ft	✓ Public
	NRCub LakeKalkaska	NR	17.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	23 ft	Not recorded
	NRSquaw LakeKalkaska	NR	15 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	5 ft	Not recorded
	NRBass LakeKalkaska	NR	18.5 ft	10 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.

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Other Counties in Michigan

Dickinson County

13 lakes · Avg grade A

Clare County

7 lakes · Avg grade A

Ogemaw County

3 lakes · Avg grade A

Cheboygan County

8 lakes · Avg grade A

Roscommon County

4 lakes · Avg grade A

Gladwin County

10 lakes · Avg grade A

See how Kalkaska 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.