Beaver Lake
Alpena County, Michigan676 acresView 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
- 70 ft max depth
- Limited data
Beaver Lake in Alpena County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 675.9 acres.
- Clarity
- 16.5 ft
- Max depth
- 70 ft
- Area
- 676 acres
- Trend
- → Stable
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Watch Beaver Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Beaver Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 70 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Beaver Lake has no grade
Beaver 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, Beaver Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 16.5-foot median from 60 readings collected 2016–2022 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.
Beaver Lake is a 676-acre lake in Alpena County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 70 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Brown bullhead and Lake herring.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-03. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Beaver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.5 ft of visibility
- Deep water70 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Beaver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Beaver Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.5 ft down. TSI 37.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 70 ft |
| Surface Area | 676 acres |
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Beaver Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.505 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.3 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 7 |
EPA Impairment Status
Beaver 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 MI040700060101-02 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Beaver Lake
Beaver Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Alpena County
Frequently asked questions about Beaver Lake
Where is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake is a lake in Alpena 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 Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake in Alpena County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 675.9 acres.
Is Beaver Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Beaver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The lake covers 675.9 acres.
What fish are in Beaver Lake?
- Fish species found in Beaver Lake include Brown bullhead, Lake herring. Beaver Lake is located in Alpena County, Michigan.
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Where this data comes from
60 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
NALMS60 samples · 2016–2022
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