Deer Lake
Charlevoix County, Michigan464 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Deer Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Deer Lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 463.7 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Deer Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 20 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Deer Lake is a 464-acre lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, and Common shiner. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Deer Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Deer Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Deer 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 Deer Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Deer Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Deer Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
464 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.7 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
692 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Deer LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Deer Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Deer Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Deer 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 MI040601050204-02 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Deer Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Boyne City WwtpBoyne City · 3.2 mi away · NPDES MI0021474Recent violation
- Stafford'S Water Street CoBoyne City · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MIG250399
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 Charlevoix County
Frequently asked questions about Deer Lake
Where is Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake is a lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 463.7 acres.
Is Deer Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Deer Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 463.7 acres.
What fish are in Deer Lake?
- Fish species found in Deer Lake include Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Common shiner, Creek chub, Largemouth bass, Mimic shiner, Northern logperch, Northern longear sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Smallmouth bass, Western banded killifish, Yellow perch. Deer Lake is located in Charlevoix County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Deer Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Deer Lake?
- Deer 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 Deer Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS8 samples · 2022
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)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory