Brown Lake
Jackson County, Michigan146 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Brown Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Brown Lake in Jackson County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 146.1 acres.
Brown Lake is a 146-acre lake in Jackson County, Michigan. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Common shiner, Creek chub, and Hornyhead chub. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Brown Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Brown 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 Brown Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Brown 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 7.5 ft. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | 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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Brown Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
146 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Brown Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
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Stays near Brown Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Brown Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+3.59 µg/L/yr6 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
8 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Brown Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 7 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Aeroquip Tomkins Johnson DivJackson · 2 mi away · NPDES MI0028134Recent violation
- Wolverine Metal SpecialtiesJackson · 2 mi away · NPDES MI0036633Recent violation
- Lefere Forge & MachineJackson · 4.1 mi away · NPDES MI0053031Recent violation
- Jackson Precision Die CastingJackson · 4.1 mi away · NPDES MIG250330Recent violation
- Diecast CorpJackson · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MI0005754Recent violation
- Shell Oil Co-Jackson,MichiganJackson · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MI0036668Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Brown Lake
Where is Brown Lake?
- Brown Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Brown Lake?
- Brown Lake in Jackson County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 146.1 acres.
Is Brown Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Brown Lake?
- Fish species found in Brown Lake include Common shiner, Creek chub, Hornyhead chub, Smallmouth bass, White sucker, Yellow perch. Brown Lake is located in Jackson County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Brown Lake?
- Public access to Brown 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.
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Where this data comes from
98 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS98 samples · 2016–2022
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)