Otsego County Lake Quality
Michigan, 9 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)
Only 9 lakes in Otsego 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. 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.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Perch Lake (A); the most-stressed is Town Line Lake (Aka (B).
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Quick Answers for Otsego County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Perch Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.
Fishing in Otsego County
All Lakes in Otsego County
9 lakes · 2 graded, 7 not rated2 graded lakes · 7 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | APerch LakeOtsego | A | 11.3 ft | 8.5 µg/L | 3.3 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | BTown Line Lake (AkaOtsego | B | 18 ft | 10 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NROpal LakeOtsego | NR | 15.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 40 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRBig Bradford LakeOtsego | NR | 22 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRViking LakeOtsego | NR | 6.8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 25 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRTown Line LakeOtsego | NR | 18 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 44 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRBig Bear LakeOtsego | NR | 15.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 36 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRO'Rourke LakeOtsego | NR | 15.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRDouglas LakeOtsego | NR | 16.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 36 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.
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Other Counties in Michigan
See how Otsego 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.