Arbutus Lake
Grand Traverse County, Michigan378 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Limited data
Arbutus Lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 17.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 378.3 acres.
- Clarity
- 17.5 ft
- Area
- 378 acres
- Trend
- → Stable
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Stays near Arbutus Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Arbutus Lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Arbutus Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Watch Arbutus Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Arbutus Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 44 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Arbutus Lake has no grade
Arbutus Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Arbutus Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 17.5-foot median from 72 readings collected 2016–2023 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Arbutus Lake is a 378-acre lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Bluegill and Pumpkinseed.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Arbutus Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.5 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Arbutus Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Arbutus Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 17.5 ft down. TSI 36.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 17.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 36 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 378 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Arbutus Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Arbutus Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.731 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.12 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.17 µg/L/yr | 7 |
EPA Impairment Status
Arbutus Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601050506-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.39 km)
Graded lakes near Arbutus Lake
Arbutus Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Grand Traverse County
Frequently asked questions about Arbutus Lake
Where is Arbutus Lake?
- Arbutus Lake is a lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Arbutus Lake?
- Arbutus Lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 17.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 378.3 acres.
Is Arbutus Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Arbutus Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Arbutus Lake?
- Fish species found in Arbutus Lake include Bluegill, Pumpkinseed. Arbutus Lake is located in Grand Traverse County, Michigan.
Explore Arbutus Lake across LakeQuality
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Arbutus Lake is about 31 miles from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes →More Michigan Lake Rankings
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Where this data comes from
72 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS72 samples · 2016–2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database