Barlow Lake
Barry County, Michigan181 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Barlow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 60 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Barlow Lake in Barry County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 181 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Barlow Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Barlow Lake is a 181-acre lake in Barry County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 60 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, and Green sunfish. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Barlow Lake covers about 180 acres in Barry County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Barlow Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Barlow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water60 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Barlow 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 Barlow Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Barlow 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 11 ft. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Barlow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
60 ft
Surface area
181 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Barlow Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Barlow Lake in Barry 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 Barlow Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Barlow Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+7.68 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.05 µg/L/yr7 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Barlow Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Janose Farms-CafoMiddleville · 2.2 mi away · NPDES MI0059696Recent violation
- Bradford White CorpMiddleville · 4.2 mi away · NPDES MI0004405Recent violation
- Geukes MarketMiddleville · 4.3 mi away · NPDES MIG250277Recent violation
- Crystal Flash Limited PartnersMiddleville · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MIG080020
- Village Of MiddlevilleMiddleville · 4.8 mi away · NPDES MIG960011
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 Barry County
Frequently asked questions about Barlow Lake
Where is Barlow Lake?
- Barlow Lake is a lake in Barry County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Barlow Lake?
- Barlow Lake in Barry County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 181 acres.
Is Barlow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Barlow Lake?
- Barlow Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet. The lake covers 181 acres.
What fish are in Barlow Lake?
- Fish species found in Barlow Lake include Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Green sunfish, Johnny darter, Lake herring, Largemouth bass, Northern logperch, Pumpkinseed, Western banded killifish, Yellow perch. Barlow Lake is located in Barry County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Barlow Lake?
- Public access to Barlow Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
Explore Barlow Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
92 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
NALMS92 samples · 2016–2022
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)