Avery Lake
Montmorency County, Michigan322 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
- Public access
- Limited data
Avery Lake in Montmorency County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 27 ft visibility. Surface area: 322 acres.
- Clarity
- 27 ft
- Area
- 322 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Avery Lake’s letter
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Why Avery Lake has no grade
Avery 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, Avery Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 27-foot median from 86 readings collected 2016–2022 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.
Avery Lake is a 322-acre lake in Montmorency County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including Bluntnose minnow, Creek chub, and Hornyhead chub. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-08-13. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Avery Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water27 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Avery Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Avery Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 27 ft down. TSI 30.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 27 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 30 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 322 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Avery Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Avery Lake State Forest CampgroundPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Avery Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.302 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.17 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.06 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Avery Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Avery Lake Dam (completed 1970), built primarily for recreation on the Crooked Creek; earth-type dam, 15 ft tall and 200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 322 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,140 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,420 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 11.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Montmorency Co. Drain Commissioner
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00056 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Avery Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040700060304-02 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Avery Lake
Avery Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Montmorency County
Frequently asked questions about Avery Lake
Where is Avery Lake?
- Avery Lake is a lake in Montmorency 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 Avery Lake?
- Avery Lake in Montmorency County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 27 ft visibility. Surface area: 322 acres.
Is Avery Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Avery Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Avery Lake?
- Fish species found in Avery Lake include Bluntnose minnow, Creek chub, Hornyhead chub, Iowa darter, Least darter, Northern longear sunfish, Rock bass, White sucker, Yellow perch. Avery Lake is located in Montmorency County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Avery Lake?
- Avery Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Avery Lake State Forest Campground. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Avery Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
86 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS86 samples · 2016–2022
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory