Douglas Lake
Cheboygan County, Michigan3,727 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 80 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Douglas Lake in Cheboygan County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 3726.6 acres.
- Clarity
- 12 ft
- Max depth
- 80 ft
- Area
- 3,727 acres
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Douglas Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Douglas Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 80 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Douglas Lake has no grade
Douglas Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Douglas Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 12-foot median from 6 readings collected 2022 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Douglas Lake is a 3,727-acre lake in Cheboygan County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 80 feet. The lake supports 22 documented fish species including Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, and Brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-08-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Douglas Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing22 species recorded
- Deep water80 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water3,727 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Douglas Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Douglas Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. TSI 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 80 ft |
| Surface Area | 3,727 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Douglas LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Douglas Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Douglas Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040700040205-04 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Douglas Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Um Biological StationPellston · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MI0050598Recent 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 Cheboygan County
Frequently asked questions about Douglas Lake
Where is Douglas Lake?
- Douglas Lake is a lake in Cheboygan County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Douglas Lake?
- Douglas Lake in Cheboygan County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 3726.6 acres.
Is Douglas Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Douglas Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Douglas Lake?
- Douglas Lake has a maximum depth of 80 feet. The lake covers 3726.6 acres.
What fish are in Douglas Lake?
- Fish species found in Douglas Lake include Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow, Common shiner, Creek chub, Golden shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Lake herring, Largemouth bass, Mottled sculpin, Northern logperch, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Smallmouth bass, Spottail shiner, Trout-perch, White sucker, Yellow perch. Douglas Lake is located in Cheboygan County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Douglas Lake?
- Douglas Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Douglas Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
6 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
NALMS6 samples · 2022
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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