Jackson County Lake Quality
Michigan, 8 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)
Only 8 lakes in Jackson County carry an active grade. The county-level summary is therefore representative of those specific lakes, not necessarily of every water body in the county. On average, Jackson County lakes grade an A. That puts it near the top of the Michigan county ranking.
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. Clear Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Jackson County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Clear Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.
Fishing in Jackson County
All Lakes in Jackson County
8 lakes · 1 graded, 7 not rated1 graded lake · 7 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AClear LakeJackson | A | 10.5 ft | 9 µg/L | 3.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 34 ft | Not recorded |
| NRBrown LakeJackson | NR | 7.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRClark LakeJackson | NR | 10 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 50 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRFarewell LakeJackson | NR | 13.8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 43 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRPortage LakeJackson | NR | 8.8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 40 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRBatteese LakeJackson | NR | 2.8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRAckerson LakeJackson | NR | 12 ft | 13 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRCranberry LakeJackson | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 32 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 Jackson 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.