Chicagon Lake vs Sunset Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sunset Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Chicagon Lake. Both are in Iron County, Michigan.
Both Chicagon Lake and Sunset Lake sit in Michigan. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Chicagon Lake versus Sunset Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Chicagon Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down.
Sunset Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Chicagon Lake | Sunset Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 20 ft Better | 13.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | 8.5 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 1.9 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 110 ft Better | 54 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,083 acres | 531 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 Better | 0 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Sunset Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Chicagon Lake. Water clarity: 13.5 ft vs 20 ft. For more fish-species variety, Chicagon Lake edges ahead with 1 documented species.
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Where to stay near Chicagon Lake and Sunset Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Chicagon Lake and Sunset Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Chicagon Lake and Sunset Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.