Crooked Lake
Emmet County, Michigan2,360 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Crooked Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 50 ft max depth
- Public access
Crooked Lake in Emmet County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 2359.5 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Crooked Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Crooked Lake is a 2,360-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Emmet County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 50 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 26 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, and Brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Emmet County, Crooked Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Crooked Lake covers about 2,400 acres in Emmet County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Crooked Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Crooked Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing26 species recorded
- Deep water50 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water2,360 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Crooked Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Crooked 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 Crooked Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Crooked 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. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.9 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Crooked Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Crooked Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 67°F) and coldest in Feb (about 38°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (38°F) to its warmest (67°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 34 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Crooked Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
50 ft
Surface area
2,360 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Crooked LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Crooked Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crooked Lake in Emmet 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 Crooked Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Crooked Lake → · more Michigan lake trips
Follow Crooked 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 Crooked Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2016–2024).
Phosphorus
Improving-0.35 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.43 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Crooked Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040700040208-05 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Crooked Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Mdnr-Oden Fish HatcheryAlanson · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MI0035726Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Emmet County
Frequently asked questions about Crooked Lake
Where is Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake is a lake in Emmet County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake in Emmet County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 2359.5 acres.
Is Crooked Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Crooked Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 34 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet. The lake covers 2359.5 acres.
What fish are in Crooked Lake?
- Fish species found in Crooked Lake include Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow, Common shiner, Emerald shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Largemouth bass, Longnose gar, Mimic shiner, Mottled sculpin, Northern logperch, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rainbow trout, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Silver lamprey, Smallmouth bass, Spottail shiner, Walleye, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch. Crooked Lake is located in Emmet County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Crooked Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Crooked Lake?
- Crooked 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.
Explore Crooked Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Emmet County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Grand Traverse Region 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
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Compare Crooked Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
39 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
LTBBWATR_WQX39 samples · 2016–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory