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LakeQuality

Cordley Lake

Livingston County, Michigan45 acresView mapDirections

EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Cordley Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Chlorophyll-a
1.4 µg/L
Less algae than most
Measured by EGLE
Max depth
31 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
45 acres
Surface area
Type
Oligotrophic
Trophic class
Trend
Stable
7 years of samples
  • Oligotrophic
  • 31 ft max depth
  • Limited data

Cordley Lake in Livingston County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 45.3 acres.

Loading map…

Free interactive depth-contour map of Cordley Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 31 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.

Cordley Lake is a 45-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Livingston County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 31 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including Blackstripe topminnow, Bluntnose minnow, and Brook silverside. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Livingston County, Cordley Lake ranks #4 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Cordley Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Fishing7 species recorded
  • Deep water31 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Limited data

Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Cordley 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.

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Water quality measurements for Cordley Lake

These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Cordley 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. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 34.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)No reading

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorusNo reading

The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential.

Chlorophyll-a (algae)1.4µg/LGood
GoodFairPoor
Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.34Oligotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.

Ask about Cordley Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

31 ft

Surface area

45 acres

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

0 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

1.2 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

860 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Cordley Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cordley Lake in Livingston 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 Cordley Lake

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Fish Species

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing Cordley Lake

Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).

  • Water clarity

    Stable

    6 years

  • Phosphorus

    Stable

    +0.17 µg/L/yr7 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Livingston County

Frequently asked questions about Cordley Lake

Where is Cordley Lake?

Cordley Lake is a lake in Livingston County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Cordley Lake?

Cordley Lake in Livingston County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 45.3 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Cordley Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

How deep is Cordley Lake?

Cordley Lake has a maximum depth of 31 feet. The lake covers 45.3 acres.

What fish are in Cordley Lake?

Fish species found in Cordley Lake include Blackstripe topminnow, Bluntnose minnow, Brook silverside, Green sunfish, Largemouth bass, Northern longear sunfish, Western banded killifish. Cordley Lake is located in Livingston County, Michigan.

Fish on this page ↑

Where this data comes from

4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.

Collected and reported by

  • Michigan EGLE - MiCorps21MICH_MICORPS4 samples · 2023

Analytical methods

  • 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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)