Upper Herring Lake
Upper Herring Lake in Benzie County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 572.5 acres.
- Clarity
- 8 ft
- Max depth
- 25 ft
- Area
- 573 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Benzie County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Upper Herring Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 25 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Upper Herring Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Upper Herring Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Upper Herring Lake is a 573-acre lake in Benzie County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, and Brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-03. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Upper Herring Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Upper Herring Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Trophic State Index: 47.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Upper Herring Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Upper Herring Lake in Benzie County, Michigan — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Upper Herring Lake
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 25 ft |
| Surface Area | 573 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- Upper Herring LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Upper Herring Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.419 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.32 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Graded lakes near Upper Herring Lake
Upper Herring Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Upper Herring Lake
Where is Upper Herring Lake?
- Upper Herring Lake is a lake in Benzie County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — there is not enough recent sampling to assign a letter.
What is the water quality grade for Upper Herring Lake?
- Upper Herring Lake in Benzie County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 572.5 acres.
Is Upper Herring Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Upper Herring Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Upper Herring Lake?
- Upper Herring Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 572.5 acres.
What fish are in Upper Herring Lake?
- Fish species found in Upper Herring Lake include Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Johnny darter, Longnose gar, Mimic shiner, Northern longear sunfish, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Smallmouth bass, Spottail shiner, Walleye, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch. Upper Herring Lake is located in Benzie County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Upper Herring Lake?
- Upper Herring Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Upper Herring Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Upper Herring Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Benzie County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Grand Traverse Region area
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its grade
Michigan's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Upper Herring Lake is about 27 miles from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes →More Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
64 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS64 samples · 2016–2022
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory