Ellen Lake
Iron County, Michigan140 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- #3 of 21 in the county
- 73 ft max depth
Ellen Lake in Iron County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 139.9 acres.
- Clarity
- 17.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 53°F
- Max depth
- 73 ft
- Area
- 140 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 8 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Ellen Lake’s letter
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Ellen Lake is a 140-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Iron County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 73 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Iron County, Ellen Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-08-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Ellen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.3 ft of visibility
- Deep water73 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 17.3 ft down. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.8 µg/L. TSI 35. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 17.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 8 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 35 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Water Temperature
Ellen Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 51°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 53°F) and coldest in Jun (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 167 field readings (2023–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ellen Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 73 ft |
| Surface Area | 140 acres |
Fishing Ellen Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 8 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.391 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.4 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.15 µg/L/yr | 5 |
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 21 lakes in Iron County
Nearby Lakes in Iron County
Frequently asked questions about Ellen Lake
Where is Ellen Lake?
- Ellen Lake is a lake in Iron County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Ellen Lake?
- Ellen Lake in Iron County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 139.9 acres.
Is Ellen Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Ellen Lake?
- Ellen Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in August, from 167 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ellen Lake?
- Ellen Lake has a maximum depth of 73 feet. The lake covers 139.9 acres.
Explore Ellen Lake across LakeQuality
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Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Where this data comes from
123 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_MICORPS123 samples · 2016–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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.