Bass Lake
Lake County, Michigan295 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Bass Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bass Lake in Lake County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 295.4 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Bass Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 45 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Bass Lake is a 295-acre lake in Lake County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 45 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, and Iowa darter. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bass Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.8 ft of visibility
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Deep water45 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bass Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bass 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 Bass Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Bass 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 14.8 ft. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.8ft | 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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Bass Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
45 ft
Surface area
295 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bass Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bass Lake in Lake 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 Bass 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 Bass Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bass Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2019–2023).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.17 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-3.8 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Bass Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601010101-03 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Bass Lake
Where is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake is a lake in Lake County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake in Lake County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 295.4 acres.
Is Bass Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bass Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 45 feet. The lake covers 295.4 acres.
What fish are in Bass Lake?
- Fish species found in Bass Lake include Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Iowa darter, Least darter, Mimic shiner, Western banded killifish, Yellow perch. Bass Lake is located in Lake County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Bass Lake?
- Public access to Bass 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 Bass Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Lake County
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
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
73 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2019–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS73 samples · 2019–2022
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database