Colwell Lake
Schoolcraft County, Michigan130 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from EGLE for this lake.
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
Colwell Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 130 acres.
Water clarity at Colwell Lake
Clear water. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, Colwell Lake averaged 3.57 m (12 ft) of visibility down into the water, so you can typically see several feet down in midsummer. This lake sits close to the line between clarity classes, so treat the label as approximate and the depth reading as the real number.
Nobody has taken a water sample here that we can find. Michigan's environmental agency measures clarity on lakes like this one from satellite images instead, which is why this page reports how clear the water is and no phosphorus or algae readings.
Clear is not the same as clean. A lake can be easy to see through and still carry high nutrient levels, and a naturally tea-stained lake can be perfectly healthy. The nutrient and algae readings on other lakes come from phosphorus and chlorophyll-a measured in a laboratory, and clarity alone cannot stand in for them.
The same satellite images put summer algae here at roughly 3.65 micrograms per litre. Estimating algae from orbit is far less exact than measuring clarity, so that figure is worth knowing and is not part of any rating.
Colwell Lake is a 130-acre lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 25 feet (13-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Colwell Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming conditions
No readingNot rated
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Colwell 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 Colwell Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Colwell Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. TSI undefined.
Ask about Colwell Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Average depth
13 ft
Surface area
130 acres
Shoreline
0.8 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Colwell LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Colwell Lake
- Colwell Lake Campground0.4 kmReserve
- Colwell Lake Recreation Area0.5 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Colwell Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Colwell Lake in Schoolcraft 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 Colwell Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 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 Colwell Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Colwell Lake
Nearby Lakes in Schoolcraft County
Frequently asked questions about Colwell Lake
Where is Colwell Lake?
- Colwell Lake is a lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Colwell Lake?
- Colwell Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 130 acres.
Is Colwell Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Colwell Lake?
- Colwell Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet and an average depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 130 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Colwell Lake?
- Colwell Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Colwell Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Colwell Lake?
- Colwell 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.
Are there campgrounds on Colwell Lake?
- Colwell Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Colwell Lake Campground, Colwell Lake Recreation Area. 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 Colwell Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Upper Peninsula area
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
Where this data comes from
Measurements for Colwell Lake come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles