Bills Lake
Newaygo County, Michigan198 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #2 of 9 in the county
- 90 ft max depth
Bills Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 90 ft. Surface area: 197.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 13 ft
- Max depth
- 90 ft
- Area
- 198 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 8 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Bills Lake is a 198-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Newaygo County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 90 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Newaygo County, Bills Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Bills Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13 ft of visibility
- Deep water90 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Bills Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.9 µg/L. TSI 37. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 8 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 90 ft |
| Surface Area | 198 acres |
Fishing Bills Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.114 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.5 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.04 µg/L/yr | 7 |
EPA Impairment Status
Bills 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 MI040500060401-03 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.16 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 9 lakes in Newaygo County
Nearby Lakes in Newaygo County
Frequently asked questions about Bills Lake
Where is Bills Lake?
- Bills Lake is a lake in Newaygo County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Bills Lake?
- Bills Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 90 ft. Surface area: 197.8 acres.
Is Bills Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Bills Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bills Lake?
- Bills Lake has a maximum depth of 90 feet. The lake covers 197.8 acres.
Explore Bills Lake across LakeQuality
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Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Where this data comes from
143 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS143 samples · 2016–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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