Big Bradford Lake
Otsego County, Michigan256 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Bradford Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Bradford Lake in Otsego County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 22 ft visibility. Surface area: 255.6 acres.
Big Bradford Lake is a 256-acre lake in Otsego County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including Blackchin shiner, Bluntnose minnow, and Brook stickleback. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2019-09-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Big Bradford Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water22 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Bradford 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 Bradford Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Big Bradford Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 22 ft down. TSI 33.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 22ft | 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. | 33 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Big Bradford Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
256 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Big Bradford Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Big Bradford LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Bradford Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2016–2019).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+5 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Otsego County
Frequently asked questions about Big Bradford Lake
Where is Big Bradford Lake?
- Big Bradford Lake is a lake in Otsego County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Bradford Lake?
- Big Bradford Lake in Otsego County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 22 ft visibility. Surface area: 255.6 acres.
Is Big Bradford Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Big Bradford Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Bradford Lake include Blackchin shiner, Bluntnose minnow, Brook stickleback, Central mudminnow, Common shiner, Golden shiner, Hornyhead chub, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Largemouth bass, Least darter, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, White sucker. Big Bradford Lake is located in Otsego County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Big Bradford Lake?
- Big Bradford Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Bradford Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Bradford Lake?
- Big Bradford Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Big Bradford Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
38 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS38 samples · 2016–2019
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