Barton Lake
Kalamazoo County, Michigan335 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #3 of 7 in the county
- 18 ft max depth
Barton Lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.6 µg/L. Surface area: 335.3 acres.
- Clarity
- 8 ft
- Typical in September
- 61°F
- Max depth
- ~18 ft est.
- Area
- 335 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 13 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 6.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Barton Lake is a 335-acre mesotrophic lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 18 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Kalamazoo County, Barton Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Barton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.6 µg/L. TSI 46. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Barton Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 63°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 488 field readings (2016–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Barton Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~9 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 335 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 Barton Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing Barton Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.047 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.2 µg/L/yr | 7 |
EPA Impairment Status
Barton 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 MI040500010503-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.83 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Barton Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Vicksburg MS4-KalamazooVicksburg · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MI0060183Recent 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.
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 7 lakes in Kalamazoo County
Nearby Lakes in Kalamazoo County
Frequently asked questions about Barton Lake
Where is Barton Lake?
- Barton Lake is a lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Barton Lake?
- Barton Lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.6 µg/L. Surface area: 335.3 acres.
Is Barton Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Barton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Barton Lake?
- Barton Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September, from 488 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Barton Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Barton Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 18 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 335.3 acres.
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Where this data comes from
167 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_MICORPS167 samples · 2016–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)