Cleanest Lakes in Michigan: Top 25 Ranked by Water Quality

Q: What is the cleanest lake in Michigan?

Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township has the highest water quality score in our 2026 Michigan dataset (grade A), based on combined Secchi clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a measurements. Cleanliness here means low nutrient load, deep water clarity, and minimal algae — measured directly from EPA and state DNR samples.

Q: What is the most polluted lake in Michigan?

Among monitored Michigan lakes, Palmer Lake Central Basin; Colon Township ranks among the most polluted by combined phosphorus and chlorophyll-a load. See our full ranking on the most-polluted-lakes trend page for state-by-state details.

Q: Where in Michigan has the cleanest water?

Michigan's clearest waters are concentrated in deeper, lower-nutrient glacial basins with forested or low-agriculture watersheds. Among the current top-ranked lakes above, counties like Kalkaska, Iron, and Benzie produce the highest-scoring lakes.

Q: What is the clearest lake in Michigan?

Bear Lake Southeast Basin is the clearest lake in Michigan by water clarity, with a Secchi depth of 36.5 feet — the deepest transparency in our 2026 dataset. "Clearest" ranks by Secchi depth (how far you can see into the water) specifically, while "cleanest" combines clarity with phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. See our full clearest-lakes ranking for Michigan for the top 25 by Secchi clarity.

Q: Are these lakes safe to swim in?

A and B grade lakes are typically safe for swimming under normal conditions. Chlorophyll-a below 10 µg/L means low risk of harmful algal blooms. Always check posted advisories before swimming — water quality changes seasonally, especially in late summer when blue-green algae bloom risk peaks.

Q: How are these grades calculated?

Each lake is scored on three signals: Secchi depth (water clarity in feet), total phosphorus (nutrient load in µg/L), and chlorophyll-a (algae concentration in µg/L). Each gets a 0–100 sub-score relative to Michigan state norms. The three sub-scores average into the overall score, which maps to an A–F letter grade. Methodology details live on our methodology page.

Q: What are the top 5 cleanest lakes in the US?

There is no single national ranking of cleanest lakes — each state agency uses different metrics. Crater Lake (Oregon) is widely cited as the clearest US lake, with Secchi depths over 30 m. Lake Tahoe and Lake Superior are also top-tier nationally. Within Michigan, the lakes ranked above are the top 25 by our standardized 2026 grading.

The single cleanest lake in Michigan is Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township, with the highest combined water quality score in our 2026 dataset (grade A). Cleanliness is measured by Secchi depth (clarity), total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — all sourced from EPA Water Quality Portal and state agency sampling. The full top 25 ranked list appears below.

Filtered to remove lakes with limited data (<3 sampling years). Sorted by overall water quality score.

The "cleanest" ranking on LakeGrade is composite: water clarity (Secchi), total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — the three core inputs to the LakeGrade rubric — taken together. The cleanest Michigan lake on the current data is Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township (A).

The top of the cleanest-lakes list is dominated by deep, glacial, cold-water basins — the same basins that produce the A-grade bracket overall. The pattern is not coincidence: depth and watershed land-use are the dominant inputs to water-clarity and nutrient-loading both.

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Phosphorus	Chlorophyll-a	Area
1	Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township	Clare	A	15 ft	—	2.5 µg/L	-
2	Moon Lake Central Basin; Watersmeet Township	Gogebic	A	18 ft	—	3.2 µg/L	-
3	Sunset Lake West Central Basin; Bates Township	Iron	A	15.5 ft	—	2.2 µg/L	-
4	Ellen Lake South Central Basin; Mansfield Township	Iron	A	17 ft	—	2.8 µg/L	-
5	Smoky Lake	Iron	A	24 ft	8.3 µg/L	—	-
6	Whitefish Bay Deep Lake	Chippewa	A	34.4 ft	16 µg/L	2.5 µg/L	-
7	Little Bass Lake	Lake	A	18.3 ft	—	3.1 µg/L	-
8	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	—	3.4 µg/L	-
9	Cobb Lake Central Basin	Barry	A	16 ft	—	1.8 µg/L	-
10	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	—	2.3 µg/L	-
11	Bills Lake Central Basin	Newaygo	A	15.5 ft	—	1.7 µg/L	-
12	Arbutus Lake South Central Basin	Grand Traverse	A	19 ft	—	2.1 µg/L	-
13	Cub Lake Central Basin	Kalkaska	A	19 ft	—	1.7 µg/L	-
14	Lake Mary Northwest Basin; Mastodon Township	Iron	A	18 ft	—	3 µg/L	-
15	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	—	2.7 µg/L	-
16	Bear Lake Southeast Basin	Kalkaska	A	36.5 ft	—	2.4 µg/L	-
17	Higgins Lake East Basin	Roscommon	A	35 ft	—	1 µg/L	-
18	Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township	Grand Traverse	A	23.8 ft	—	1.4 µg/L	-
19	Eagle Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	17 ft	—	1.6 µg/L	-
20	Indian Lake Northeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	15.5 ft	—	4.3 µg/L	-
21	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	—	1.7 µg/L	-
22	Eagle Lake East Basin; Paw Paw Township	Van Buren	A	17 ft	—	3.8 µg/L	-
23	Lake View; Almira Twp	Benzie	A	18 ft	—	3 µg/L	-
24	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	—	2.4 µg/L	-
25	Twin Lakes; Grayling Twp	Crawford	A	19 ft	—	4.5 µg/L	-

All-states list →Clearest lakes in Michigan (by Secchi clarity) →Minnesota version →Wisconsin version →Illinois version →Best swimming lakes in Michigan →All Michigan lakes →Most polluted lakes →

Clearest lakes in Michigan by water clarity

“Clearest” ranks by Secchi depth — how far you can see into the water — which can differ from the combined cleanliness score above. The clearest water in Michigan is Bear Lake Southeast Basin at 36.5 ft of Secchi visibility.

1. Bear Lake Southeast Basin — 36.5 ft, Kalkaska County
2. Higgins Lake East Basin — 35 ft, Roscommon County
3. Higgins Lake Northwest Basin — 34.5 ft, Roscommon County
4. Whitefish Bay Deep Lake — 34.4 ft, Chippewa County
5. Higgins Lake — 34 ft, Roscommon County

See the full clearest-lakes ranking for Michigan →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cleanest lake in Michigan?

Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township has the highest water quality score in our 2026 Michigan dataset (grade A), based on combined Secchi clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a measurements. Cleanliness here means low nutrient load, deep water clarity, and minimal algae — measured directly from EPA and state DNR samples.

What is the most polluted lake in Michigan?

Among monitored Michigan lakes, Palmer Lake Central Basin; Colon Township ranks among the most polluted by combined phosphorus and chlorophyll-a load. See our full ranking on the most-polluted-lakes trend page for state-by-state details.

Where in Michigan has the cleanest water?

Michigan's clearest waters are concentrated in deeper, lower-nutrient glacial basins with forested or low-agriculture watersheds. Among the current top-ranked lakes above, counties like Kalkaska, Iron, and Benzie produce the highest-scoring lakes.

What is the clearest lake in Michigan?

Bear Lake Southeast Basin is the clearest lake in Michigan by water clarity, with a Secchi depth of 36.5 feet — the deepest transparency in our 2026 dataset. "Clearest" ranks by Secchi depth (how far you can see into the water) specifically, while "cleanest" combines clarity with phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. See our full clearest-lakes ranking for Michigan for the top 25 by Secchi clarity.

Are these lakes safe to swim in?

A and B grade lakes are typically safe for swimming under normal conditions. Chlorophyll-a below 10 µg/L means low risk of harmful algal blooms. Always check posted advisories before swimming — water quality changes seasonally, especially in late summer when blue-green algae bloom risk peaks.

How are these grades calculated?

Each lake is scored on three signals: Secchi depth (water clarity in feet), total phosphorus (nutrient load in µg/L), and chlorophyll-a (algae concentration in µg/L). Each gets a 0–100 sub-score relative to Michigan state norms. The three sub-scores average into the overall score, which maps to an A–F letter grade. Methodology details live on our methodology page.

What are the top 5 cleanest lakes in the US?

There is no single national ranking of cleanest lakes — each state agency uses different metrics. Crater Lake (Oregon) is widely cited as the clearest US lake, with Secchi depths over 30 m. Lake Tahoe and Lake Superior are also top-tier nationally. Within Michigan, the lakes ranked above are the top 25 by our standardized 2026 grading.

How we rank cleanest lakes

Cleanliness here means three things working together:

Secchi clarity — how deep you can see into the water (in feet). Greater depth = clearer water = lower suspended sediment and algae.
Total phosphorus — the nutrient that fuels algae. Lower phosphorus levels mean less algae growth potential.
Chlorophyll-a — the green pigment in algae. Direct measurement of how much algae is currently in the water.

Each signal is normalized against Michigan state norms and combined into a single 0–100 score. The lakes above are sorted by that combined score.Full methodology →

Where to stay near Michigan's cleanest lakes

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.