Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Byers Lake

Schoolcraft County, Michigan160 acresView mapDirections

NR
Not rated

Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
4.6 ft
Secchi · sampled 2023
Max depth
15 ft
Bathymetric survey
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Declining
3 years of samples
  • 15 ft max depth
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Byers Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 160 acres.

Clarity
4.6 ft
Max depth
15 ft
Area
160 acres
Trend
Declining
Public access
Yes
Loading map…

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Byers Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Byers Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Byers Lake

Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Byers Lake · more Michigan lake trips

Watch Byers Lake’s letter

Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.


Or email

Free interactive depth-contour map of Byers Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 15 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.

Why Byers Lake has no grade

Byers Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Byers Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 4.6-foot median from 2 readings collected 2021–2023 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.

Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Byers Lake is a 160-acre lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Byers Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Camping1 public campground nearby

Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Traverse City

Get alerts for Byers Lake

Water quality measurements for Byers Lake

These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.

Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft. TSI 55.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)4.6 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)55Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth15 ft
Surface Area160 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Elevation
774 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

Yes
Public Access
1
Campgrounds

Public campgrounds near Byers Lake

  • Colwell Lake Recreation Area4.0 km

Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes

Fishing Byers Lake

Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.982 m/yr3

Graded lakes near Byers Lake

Byers Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

Nearby Lakes in Schoolcraft County

Frequently asked questions about Byers Lake

Where is Byers Lake?

Byers Lake is a lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).

What is the water quality grade for Byers Lake?

Byers Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 160 acres.

Is Byers Lake safe to swim in?

The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

How deep is Byers Lake?

Byers Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 160 acres.

Are there campgrounds on Byers Lake?

Byers Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Colwell Lake Recreation Area. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.

Planning a trip around Pictured Rocks?

Byers Lake is about 26 miles from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.

Best time to visit Pictured Rocks

Where this data comes from

2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.

Collected and reported by

  • Eastern Regional OfficeUSFSEASTERN2 samples · 2021–2023
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

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles