Lapeer County Lake Quality
Michigan, 8 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Lapeer County has 8 graded lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Barnes Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
Quick Answers for Lapeer County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Barnes Lake — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Lapeer County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barnes Lake | A | 14.5 ft | - |
| 2 | Barnes Lake | B | 14 ft | - |
| 3 | Middle Lake | C | 9 ft | - |
| 4 | Hemmingway Lake | C | 7.5 ft | - |
| 5 | Hemingway Lake | C | 7 ft | - |
| 6 | Lake Lapeer | D | 3.5 ft | - |
| 7 | Lake Lapeer Central Basin; Elba Township | F | 3 ft | - |
Other Counties in Michigan
See how Lapeer County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 15 states.
Where to stay near Lapeer County
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.