Betsie Lake
Benzie County, Michigan296 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Betsie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Betsie Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Surface area: 295.8 acres.
Betsie Lake is a 296-acre lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2019-09-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Betsie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Betsie 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 Betsie Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Betsie Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.8 ft. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.8ft | 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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Betsie Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
296 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Betsie Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Frankfort Municipal MarinaPublic
- Penfold ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Betsie Lake
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Fishing Betsie Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2019–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Nearby Lakes in Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Betsie Lake
Where is Betsie Lake?
- Betsie Lake is a lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Betsie Lake?
- Betsie Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Surface area: 295.8 acres.
Is Betsie Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Betsie Lake?
- Betsie Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Frankfort Municipal Marina, Penfold Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Betsie Lake?
- Betsie Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Betsie Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS8 samples · 2019
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory