Late afternoon sun over Slim Lake, scattering a bright path across wind-textured water

Otsego County Lake Quality

Michigan, 52 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)

Otsego County has 52 monitored lakes, enough that within-county variation matters as much as the county average. Some are deep glacial basins, others are shallow agricultural-watershed waters, and the measurements reflect that mix. 2 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. On average, Otsego County lakes grade an A. That puts it near the top of the Michigan county ranking.

The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Perch Lake (A); the most-stressed is Town Line Lake (Aka (B).

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Quick Answers for Otsego County

Cleanest lakes in Otsego County →Cleanest lakes in Michigan →Safest swimming lakes in Michigan →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Perch Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.

Fishing in Otsego County

Otsego County Fishing Guide

Fish species and best-graded lakes in Otsego County

All Lakes in Otsego County

52 lakes · 2 graded, 50 not rated2 graded lakes · 50 not rated, hidden

Include not-rated lakes (50)

#	Lake	Grade	Clarity	Phosphorus	Algae	Trophic	Max Depth	Access
1	APerch LakeOtsego	A	11.3 ft	8.5 µg/L	3.3 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
2	BTown Line Lake (AkaOtsego	B	18 ft	10 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NROpal LakeOtsego	NR	15.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	40 ft	✓ Public
	NRBig Bradford LakeOtsego	NR	22 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRViking LakeOtsego	NR	6.8 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	25 ft	✓ Public
	NRTown Line LakeOtsego	NR	18 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	44 ft	✓ Public
	NRBig Bear LakeOtsego	NR	15.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	36 ft	✓ Public
	NRO'Rourke LakeOtsego	NR	15.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRDouglas LakeOtsego	NR	16.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	36 ft	Not recorded
	NRLake TwentysevenOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	20 ft	✓ Public
	NRFive LakesOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	7 ft	Not recorded
	NRBig LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	80 ft	✓ Public
	NRDixon LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	25 ft	✓ Public
	NROtsego LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	20 ft	✓ Public
	NRLewis LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	35 ft	Not recorded
	NRLake WequosOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	28 ft	Not recorded
	NRLake ManukaOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	20 ft	✓ Public
	NRBuhl LakesOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	29 ft	Not recorded
	NRTurtle LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	30 ft	Not recorded
	NREmerald LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	30 ft	✓ Public
	NRLittle Bear LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	65 ft	Not recorded
	NRLake HoriconOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	47 ft	Not recorded
	NRBig Bass LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	30 ft	Not recorded
	NRLake TeconOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	43 ft	Not recorded
	NRBig Chub LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	54 ft	Not recorded
	NRBridge LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	56 ft	Not recorded
	NRHeart LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	110 ft	✓ Public
	NRLynn LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	41 ft	Not recorded
	NRCrapo LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	31 ft	Not recorded
	NRGuthrie LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	80 ft	✓ Public
	NRSection One LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	20 ft	Not recorded
	NRWoodin LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRPickerel LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRGrass LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLansing Club PondOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRTraverse LakesOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRSwede LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRGee LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRCaulkins LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRSeventh Spectacle LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLake TeconOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLake MarjoryOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRBelmore LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRBridge LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLower Chub LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRGrass LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRClear LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRJohannesburg LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRFive LakesOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRMartin LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRWest LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRPencil LakeOtsego	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded

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.

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Other Counties in Michigan

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43 lakes · Avg grade A

Clare County

47 lakes · Avg grade A

Ogemaw County

50 lakes · Avg grade A

Cheboygan County

31 lakes · Avg grade A

Roscommon County

26 lakes · Avg grade A

Gladwin County

29 lakes · Avg grade A

See how Otsego 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.