Big Affrica Lake
Gogebic County, MichiganView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from C at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #12 of 21 in the county
- Limited data
Big Affrica Lake in Gogebic County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 5 ft
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 14 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Big Affrica Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Gogebic County, Michigan. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Gogebic County, Big Affrica Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-08-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Big Affrica Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. TSI 48. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 48 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Fishing Big Affrica Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.443 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.93 µg/L/yr | 7 |
EPA Impairment Status
Big Affrica 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 MI040201020101-14 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.11 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #12 of 21 lakes in Gogebic County
Nearby Lakes in Gogebic County
Frequently asked questions about Big Affrica Lake
Where is Big Affrica Lake?
- Big Affrica Lake is a lake in Gogebic County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Big Affrica Lake?
- Big Affrica Lake in Gogebic County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L.
Is Big Affrica Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Big Affrica Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Big Affrica Lake across LakeQuality
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
55 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS55 samples · 2017–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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