Big Affrica Lake
Gogebic County, MichiganView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Affrica Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Limited data
Big Affrica Lake in Gogebic County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L.
Big Affrica Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Gogebic County, Michigan. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are 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.
Whether Big Affrica 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 Big Affrica Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Big Affrica Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| 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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Fishing Big Affrica Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.93 µg/L/yr7 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040201020101-14 · Official waterbody report
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. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Affrica Lake?
- Big Affrica Lake in Gogebic County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L.
Is Big Affrica Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are 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.
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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)
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