Barnes Lake
Lapeer County, Michigan110 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Barnes Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Barnes Lake in Lapeer County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 110 acres.
Barnes Lake is a 110-acre mesotrophic lake in Lapeer County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Lapeer County, Barnes Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Barnes Lake covers about 110 acres in Lapeer County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Barnes Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Barnes Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.5 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Barnes 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 Barnes Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Barnes 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 14.5 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Barnes Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
110 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Barnes Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Barnes Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Barnes Lake in Lapeer 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 Barnes Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Follow Barnes Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Barnes Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Barnes Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Barnes Lake Dam (completed 1935), built primarily for recreation on the Barnes Lake Outlet; earth-type dam, 7 ft tall and 225 ft long.
- Surface area
- 110 ac
- Normal storage
- 132 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 184 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Barnes Lake Property Owners
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI01420 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Barnes Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Wolverine Christ Service CampColumbiaville · 4.2 mi away · NPDES MIG580336Recent violation
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 Lapeer County
Frequently asked questions about Barnes Lake
Where is Barnes Lake?
- Barnes Lake is a lake in Lapeer County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Barnes Lake?
- Barnes Lake in Lapeer County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 110 acres.
Is Barnes Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Barnes Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
70 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS70 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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)