Chickenbone Lake
Keweenaw County, Michigan228 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- #11 of 11 in the county
- 44 ft max depth
- Limited data
Chickenbone Lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28.2 µg/L. Surface area: 227.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 6.1 ft
- Typical in September
- 69°F
- Max depth
- ~44 ft est.
- Area
- 228 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 28.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Chickenbone Lake is a 228-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 44 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Blackchin shiner. Compared to the 10 other monitored lakes in Keweenaw County, Chickenbone Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-09-03. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Chickenbone Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping3 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 6.1 ft. Phosphorus 28.2 µg/L. TSI 52. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 28.2 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 52 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Chickenbone Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 72°F) and coldest in Jun (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 113 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Chickenbone Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~44 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 228 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 Chickenbone 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 Chickenbone Lake
- W. Chickenbone Lake1.1 km
- E. Chickenbone Lake1.3 km
- McCargoe Cove2.2 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
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Chickenbone Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -1.24 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +21 µg/L/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #11 of 11 lakes in Keweenaw County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Chickenbone Lake holds Grade C. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Keweenaw County
Frequently asked questions about Chickenbone Lake
Where is Chickenbone Lake?
- Chickenbone Lake is a lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Chickenbone Lake?
- Chickenbone Lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28.2 µg/L. Surface area: 227.8 acres.
Is Chickenbone Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Chickenbone Lake?
- Chickenbone Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 113 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Chickenbone Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Chickenbone Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 44 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 227.8 acres.
What fish are in Chickenbone Lake?
- Fish species found in Chickenbone Lake include Blackchin shiner. Chickenbone Lake is located in Keweenaw County, Michigan.
Are there campgrounds on Chickenbone Lake?
- Chickenbone Lake has 3 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including W. Chickenbone Lake, E. Chickenbone Lake, McCargoe Cove. 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 Chickenbone Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX10 samples · 2023–2024
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