Chapel Lake
Alger County, Michigan66 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- #5 of 8 in the county
- 31 ft max depth
Chapel Lake in Alger County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.1 µg/L. Surface area: 65.9 acres.
- Clarity
- 7.9 ft
- Typical in September
- 48°F
- Max depth
- ~31 ft est.
- Area
- 66 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 18.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Chapel Lake
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Watch Chapel Lake’s letter
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Chapel Lake is a 66-acre mesotrophic lake in Alger County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Alger County, Chapel Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-08-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Chapel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 18.1 µg/L. TSI 47. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 18.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Chapel Lake typically sits around 48°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 50°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 51°F) and coldest in Jun (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,392 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Chapel Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~31 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~23 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 66 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Chapel Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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
Public campgrounds near Chapel Lake
- Chapel Beach2.2 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 Chapel Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 9 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.049 m/yr | 9 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.69 µg/L/yr | 9 |
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 8 lakes in Alger County
Nearby Lakes in Alger County
Frequently asked questions about Chapel Lake
Where is Chapel Lake?
- Chapel Lake is a lake in Alger County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Chapel Lake?
- Chapel Lake in Alger County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.1 µg/L. Surface area: 65.9 acres.
Is Chapel Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Chapel Lake?
- Chapel Lake typically sits around 48°F at the surface in September, from 1,392 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Chapel Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Chapel Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 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 65.9 acres.
Are there campgrounds on Chapel Lake?
- Chapel Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Chapel Beach. 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.
Explore Chapel Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Alger County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Michigan's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
Planning a trip around Pictured Rocks?
Chapel Lake is about 7 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 →More Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
54 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX54 samples · 2016–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi Disk
- Alkaline Persulfate Digestion for Total N and P in Water
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