Big African Lake
Gogebic County, Michigan85 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
- Limited data
Big African Lake in Gogebic County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Surface area: 84.7 acres.
- Clarity
- 5 ft
- Area
- 85 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Big African Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big African Lake in Gogebic County, Michigan — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Big African Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Watch Big African Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Big African Lake has no grade
Big African 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, Big African Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 5-foot median from 40 readings collected 2017–2022 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.
Big African Lake is a 85-acre lake in Gogebic County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Big African Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Big African Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. TSI 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 85 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Big African Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Big African 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 African 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 (0.19 km)
Graded lakes near Big African Lake
Big African Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Gogebic County
Frequently asked questions about Big African Lake
Where is Big African Lake?
- Big African Lake is a lake in Gogebic 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 Big African Lake?
- Big African Lake in Gogebic County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Surface area: 84.7 acres.
Is Big African Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Big African Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Big African Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Gogebic County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Upper Peninsula area
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its grade
Michigan's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Michigan
Eutrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS40 samples · 2017–2022
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