Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township
Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township in Oakland County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 386.5 acres.
- Clarity
- 10.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 60°F
- Area
- 387 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township is a 387-acre mesotrophic lake in Oakland County, Michigan. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2021. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, and Bluntnose minnow. Compared to the 28 other monitored lakes in Oakland County, Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-25. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyBacteria advisory
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 10.3 ft. Phosphorus level: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 43.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township
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Water Temperature
Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township typically sits around 60°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 60°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 189 field readings (2019–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 387 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township, so its depth is not documented here.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.44 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.3 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +4.28 µg/L/yr | 4 |
EPA Impairment Status
Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040900030108-43 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.94 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Sylvan Lake MS4-OaklandSylvan Lake · 0.8 mi away · NPDES MI0060161Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
County Ranking
Ranked #11 of 29 lakes in Oakland County
Nearby Lakes in Oakland County
Frequently asked questions about Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township
Where is Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township?
- Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township is a lake in Oakland County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township?
- Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township in Oakland County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 386.5 acres.
Is Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township?
- Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township typically sits around 60°F at the surface in August, from 189 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What fish are in Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township?
- Fish species found in Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township include Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Green sunfish, Iowa darter, Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Smallmouth bass, Walleye, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow perch. Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township is located in Oakland County, Michigan.
Explore Sylvan Lake; Sylvan Lake Township across LakeQuality
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Other Grade A Lakes in Michigan
Livingston County · 9 ft
Livingston County · Excellent
Washtenaw County · 6 ft
Washtenaw County · 12.5 ft
Lapeer County · 14.5 ft
Washtenaw County · 12.5 ft
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS56 samples · 2018–2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)