Ackerson Lake
Jackson County, Michigan187 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Ackerson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 36 ft max depth
- Limited data
Ackerson Lake in Jackson County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Surface area: 187.1 acres.
Ackerson Lake is a 187-acre lake in Jackson County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 36 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Ackerson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ackerson Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Ackerson Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Ackerson Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Ackerson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~36 ft est.
Surface area
187 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 Ackerson Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
948 ft
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
- Jackson County Outdoor ClubSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Ackerson Lake
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Follow Ackerson Lake’s readings
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Fishing Ackerson Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Ackerson Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Gerdau Specialty Steel-JacksonJackson · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MI0028461Recent violation
- Adco Products IncMichigan Center · 4.6 mi away · NPDES MI0038601Recent violation
- Mich Center School DistMichigan Center · 3.3 mi away · NPDES MI0041998
- Admiral Petroleum-Sta 140Michigan Center · 3.7 mi away · NPDES MI0058176
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Ackerson Lake
Where is Ackerson Lake?
- Ackerson Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ackerson Lake?
- Ackerson Lake in Jackson County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Surface area: 187.1 acres.
Is Ackerson Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Ackerson Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Ackerson Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 36 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 187.1 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Ackerson Lake?
- Ackerson Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Jackson County Outdoor Club.
Can I fish at Ackerson Lake?
- Ackerson Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
33 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS33 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory