Bristol Lake
Barry County, Michigan140 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Bristol Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bristol Lake in Barry County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 139.6 acres.
Bristol Lake is a 140-acre lake in Barry County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2019-08-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bristol Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bristol Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bristol 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 Bristol Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Bristol Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bristol Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
140 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Bristol LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Bristol Lake
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Fishing Bristol Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2016–2019).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.7 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Bristol 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 MI040500070209-05 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Barry County
Frequently asked questions about Bristol Lake
Where is Bristol Lake?
- Bristol Lake is a lake in Barry County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bristol Lake?
- Bristol Lake in Barry County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 139.6 acres.
Is Bristol Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bristol Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bristol Lake?
- Bristol Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 139.6 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Bristol Lake?
- Bristol Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bristol Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bristol Lake?
- Bristol 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 Bristol Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
37 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
NALMS37 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory