Lake Richie
Lake Richie in Keweenaw County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 9.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.1 µg/L. Surface area: 493.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 9.2 ft
- Typical in August
- 66°F
- Max depth
- ~53 ft est.
- Area
- 494 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Lake Richie is a 494-acre mesotrophic lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 53 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including Blacknose shiner, Golden shiner, and Lake herring. Compared to the 10 other monitored lakes in Keweenaw County, Lake Richie ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-08-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.2 ft. Phosphorus level: 16.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 45.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Lake Richie
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Richie in Keweenaw 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 Lake Richie
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Lake Richie typically sits around 66°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 66°F) and coldest in May (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 867 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Richie water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~53 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~23 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 494 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Lake Richie.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Lake Richie
- Lake Richie Canoe0.2 km
- Intermediate Lake1.6 km
- Lake Richie1.9 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake Richie
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 9 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.031 m/yr | 9 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.22 µg/L/yr | 9 |
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 11 lakes in Keweenaw County
Nearby Lakes in Keweenaw County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Richie
Where is Lake Richie?
- Lake Richie is a lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Richie?
- Lake Richie in Keweenaw County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 9.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.1 µg/L. Surface area: 493.8 acres.
Is Lake Richie safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Lake Richie has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Lake Richie?
- Lake Richie typically sits around 66°F at the surface in August, from 867 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Richie?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Richie, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 53 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 493.8 acres.
What fish are in Lake Richie?
- Fish species found in Lake Richie include Blacknose shiner, Golden shiner, Lake herring, Mimic shiner, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Slimy sculpin, Spottail shiner, Trout-perch, White sucker, Yellow perch. Lake Richie is located in Keweenaw County, Michigan.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Richie?
- Lake Richie has 3 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Lake Richie Canoe, Intermediate Lake, Lake Richie. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Lake Richie across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Keweenaw County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Other Grade B Lakes in Michigan
Iron County · 5.5 ft
Iron County · 23 ft
Gogebic County · 6.5 ft
Gogebic County · 5 ft
Gogebic County · 3 ft
Iron County · 19.3 ft
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
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Where this data comes from
63 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX63 samples · 2016–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi Disk
- Alkaline Persulfate Digestion for Total N and P in Water
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles