Devils Lake
Lenawee County, MichiganView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Devils Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
Devils Lake in Lenawee County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
Devils Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Lenawee County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Bluegill, Smallmouth bass, and Yellow perch. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Lenawee County, Devils Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Devils Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Devils Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
- Fishing3 species recorded
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. Devils Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Devils 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 Devils Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Devils 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 ft. Phosphorus 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.2µg/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 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Devils Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Devils Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 64°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (64°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,177 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Devils Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Devils Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Devils Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Devils Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.43 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Devils Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI041000060101-02 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lenawee County
Frequently asked questions about Devils Lake
Where is Devils Lake?
- Devils Lake is a lake in Lenawee County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Devils Lake?
- Devils Lake in Lenawee County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
Is Devils Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Devils Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Devils Lake?
- Devils Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 1,177 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What fish are in Devils Lake?
- Fish species found in Devils Lake include Bluegill, Smallmouth bass, Yellow perch. Devils Lake is located in Lenawee County, Michigan.
Explore Devils Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
73 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS73 samples · 2016–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 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