Bass Lake
Montcalm County, MichiganView 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
- 28 ft max depth
- Limited data
Bass Lake in Montcalm County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 10.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 28 ft.
- Clarity
- 10.8 ft
- Max depth
- 28 ft
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Stays near Bass Lake
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Watch Bass Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Bass Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 28 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Bass Lake has no grade
Bass 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, Bass Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 10.8-foot median from 14 readings collected 2023 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.
Bass Lake is a lake in Montcalm County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 28 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, and Bowfin.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-08-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Bass Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.8 ft of visibility
- Fishing13 species recorded
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Bass Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Bass Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.8 ft. TSI 43.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 28 ft |
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bass Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.425 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -3.5 µg/L/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Bass Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601020806-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.57 km)
Graded lakes near Bass Lake
Bass Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Montcalm County
Frequently asked questions about Bass Lake
Where is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake is a lake in Montcalm 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 Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake in Montcalm County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 10.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 28 ft.
Is Bass Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Bass Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet.
What fish are in Bass Lake?
- Fish species found in Bass Lake include Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Bowfin, Iowa darter, Lake herring, Largemouth bass, Least darter, Mimic shiner, Smallmouth bass, Walleye, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow perch. Bass Lake is located in Montcalm County, Michigan.
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Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS14 samples · 2023
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