Duck Lake
Muskegon County, Michigan265 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Duck Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Duck Lake in Muskegon 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): 3.9 µg/L. Surface area: 264.7 acres.
Duck Lake is a 265-acre mesotrophic lake in Muskegon County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 22 documented fish species including Black bullhead, Black crappie, and Bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Muskegon County, Duck Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Duck Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing22 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Duck 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 Duck Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Duck 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 3.9 µg/L. TSI 41.
| 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) | 3.9µg/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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Duck Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
265 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Duck Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Duck Lake State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Duck Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Duck Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 8 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving8 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.41 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.26 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Muskegon County
Frequently asked questions about Duck Lake
Where is Duck Lake?
- Duck Lake is a lake in Muskegon County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Duck Lake?
- Duck Lake in Muskegon 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): 3.9 µg/L. Surface area: 264.7 acres.
Is Duck Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Duck Lake?
- Fish species found in Duck Lake include Black bullhead, Black crappie, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brook stickleback, Brook trout, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow, Common shiner, Creek chub, Golden shiner, Lake herring, Largemouth bass, Mottled sculpin, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rainbow smelt, Rock bass, Smallmouth bass, Spotted gar, White sucker, Yellow perch. Duck Lake is located in Muskegon County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Duck Lake?
- Duck Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Duck Lake State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Duck Lake?
- Duck 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 Duck Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Muskegon County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
138 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_MICORPS138 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory