Big Platte Lake
Benzie County, MichiganView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Platte Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Platte Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.7 µg/L.
Big Platte Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Benzie County, Big Platte Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2019-09-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Big Platte Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
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 Platte Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Platte 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 Platte Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Big Platte Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. Phosphorus 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.7 µg/L. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 6µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Big Platte Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Fishing Big Platte Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 9 years of monitoring (2016–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening9 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.54 µg/L/yr9 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.13 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Big Platte Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601040206-03 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Big Platte Lake
Where is Big Platte Lake?
- Big Platte 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 Big Platte Lake?
- Big Platte Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.7 µg/L.
Is Big Platte Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Platte Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Big Platte Lake?
- Public access to Big Platte Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Platte Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
71 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS71 samples · 2016–2019
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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