Canadian Lake
Mecosta County, Michigan361 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Canadian Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 49 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Canadian Lake in Mecosta County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Surface area: 361 acres.
Canadian Lake is a 361-acre lake in Mecosta County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 49 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-06-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Canadian Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Canadian 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 Canadian Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Canadian Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | 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. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Canadian Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~49 ft est.
Surface area
361 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Canadian Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
12.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
965 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Canadian LakesPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Canadian Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Canadian Lake in Mecosta 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 Canadian Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Follow Canadian Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Canadian Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Canadian Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lower Canadian Lakes Dam (completed 1965), built primarily for recreation on the Cedar Creek; earth-type dam, 23 ft tall and 800 ft long.
- Surface area
- 361 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,325 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,025 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Canadian Lakes Property Owners Assn
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00408 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.84 km)
Nearby Lakes in Mecosta County
Frequently asked questions about Canadian Lake
Where is Canadian Lake?
- Canadian Lake is a lake in Mecosta County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Canadian Lake?
- Canadian Lake in Mecosta County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Surface area: 361 acres.
Is Canadian Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Canadian Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Canadian Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 49 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 361 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Canadian Lake?
- Canadian Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Canadian Lakes. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Canadian Lake?
- Canadian 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 Canadian Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Mecosta County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Eutrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS1 sample · 2023
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory