Lapeer County Lake Quality
Michigan, 6 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)
Lapeer County has 6 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. 1 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. Barnes Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Lapeer County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Barnes Lake — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Lapeer County
6 lakes · 2 graded, 4 not rated2 graded lakes · 4 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ABarnes LakeLapeer | A | 14.5 ft | 15 µg/L | 2.1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | BHemingway LakeLapeer | B | 7 ft | 20 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRNepessing LakeLapeer | NR | 9 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 20 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRMiddle LakeLapeer | NR | 9 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRHemmingway LakeLapeer | NR | 7.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake LapeerLapeer | NR | 3.5 ft | No recent samples | 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
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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 Lapeer 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.