Cedar Lake
Alcona County, Michigan914 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Cedar Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · PFAS
- 10 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cedar Lake in Alcona County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 913.8 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Cedar Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 10 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Cedar Lake is a 914-acre lake in Alcona County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 10 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 22 documented fish species including Black bullhead, Bluegill, and Bluntnose minnow. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Cedar Lake covers about 910 acres in Alcona County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Cedar Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Cedar Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing22 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cedar Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cedar 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 Cedar Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Cedar 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 9 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Cedar Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
10 ft
Surface area
914 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Cedar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cedar Lake in Alcona 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 Cedar 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 Cedar Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cedar Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 8 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving8 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.02 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.03 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Cedar Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040700030406-03 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Alcona County
Frequently asked questions about Cedar Lake
Where is Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake is a lake in Alcona County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake in Alcona County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 913.8 acres.
Is Cedar Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cedar Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 913.8 acres.
What fish are in Cedar Lake?
- Fish species found in Cedar Lake include Black bullhead, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow, Common shiner, Emerald shiner, Fathead minnow, Golden shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Largemouth bass, Mimic shiner, Northern pike, Northern redbelly dace, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Smallmouth bass, Tadpole madtom, Western banded killifish, Yellow perch. Cedar Lake is located in Alcona County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Cedar Lake?
- Public access to Cedar 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.
Explore Cedar Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Alcona 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
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
79 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
NALMS79 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database