Manistee County Lake Quality
Michigan, 24 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)
There are 24 monitored lakes in Manistee County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. 6 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. On average, Manistee County lakes grade an A. That puts it near the top of the Michigan county ranking.
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. Dorner Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Manistee County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Dorner Lake — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.
Fishing in Manistee County
All Lakes in Manistee County
24 lakes · 6 graded, 18 not rated6 graded lakes · 18 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ADorner LakeManistee | A | 8 ft | 7 µg/L | 4 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | ATimmerman LakeManistee | A | 5 ft | 13 µg/L | 6.9 µg/L | No recent samples | 31 ft | Not recorded |
| 3 | AStar LakeManistee | A | 8 ft | 9 µg/L | 4.4 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 4 | ATippy Pond Manistee ArmManistee | A | No recent samples | 12.3 µg/L | 0.9 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 5 | AManistee North LakeManistee | A | No recent samples | 16.1 µg/L | 0.9 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 6 | AManistee Lake SouthManistee | A | No recent samples | 18.2 µg/L | 0.5 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| NRBear LakeManistee | NR | 11 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 6 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRLake of the WoodsManistee | NR | 8.3 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRPine LakeManistee | NR | 17 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 50 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRArcadia LakeManistee | NR | 8.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRDorner LakeManistee | NR | 8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRTimmerman LakeManistee | NR | 5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 31 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRChief LakeManistee | NR | 20 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 9 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRStar LakeManistee | NR | 8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRPortage LakeManistee | NR | 10 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 60 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRBar LakeManistee | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 15 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRTippy Dam PondManistee | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 50 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRManistee LakeManistee | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 50 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRWoods, Lake of theManistee | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 29 ft | Not recorded | |
| NRPeters BayouManistee | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRCanfield LakeManistee | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRLake EmmaManistee | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLemon LakeManistee | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRHealy LakeManistee | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
Lake Match
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Other Counties in Michigan
See how Manistee County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.