St. Joseph County Lake Quality
Michigan, 13 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
St. Joseph County has 13 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. Corey Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
Quick Answers for St. Joseph County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Corey Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or check the official Michigan fishing regulations.
Fishing in St. Joseph County
All Lakes in St. Joseph County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corey Lake | A | 16 ft | - |
| 2 | Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township | A | 16 ft | - |
| 3 | Fishers Lake North Central Basin; Park Township | A | 10.5 ft | - |
| 4 | Fishers Lake | B | 10.5 ft | - |
| 5 | Klinger Lake | C | 9.5 ft | - |
| 6 | Templene Lake Central Basin; Sherman Township | C | 6 ft | - |
| 7 | Portage Lake | D | 4.5 ft | - |
| 8 | Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township | D | 5 ft | - |
| 9 | Lake Templene | D | 6.5 ft | - |
| 10 | Palmer Lake Central Basin; Colon Township | D | 2 ft | - |
| 11 | Palmer Lake | F | 3 ft | - |
| 12 | Sturgeon Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Colon Township | F | 3 ft | - |
Other Counties in Michigan
See how St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph County
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.