Cable Lake
Iron County, Michigan331 acresView mapDirections
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.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cable Lake in Iron County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 331.3 acres.
- Clarity
- 7.3 ft
- Max depth
- 30 ft
- Area
- 331 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Cable Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Cable Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 30 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Cable Lake has no grade
Cable 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, Cable Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 7.3-foot median from 21 readings collected 2021–2022 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.
Cable Lake is a 331-acre lake in Iron County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 30 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 2022-09-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Cable Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Cable Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Cable Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.3 ft. TSI 49.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 30 ft |
| Surface Area | 331 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- Cable LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Cable Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.565 m/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Cable Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040301060205-02 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Cable Lake
Cable Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Iron County
Frequently asked questions about Cable Lake
Where is Cable Lake?
- Cable Lake is a lake in Iron County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Cable Lake?
- Cable Lake in Iron County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 331.3 acres.
Is Cable Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Cable Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cable Lake?
- Cable Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 331.3 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Cable Lake?
- Cable Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cable Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
21 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS21 samples · 2021–2022
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory