Emerald Lake
Kent County, Michigan15 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Emerald Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Emerald Lake in Kent County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Surface area: 14.7 acres.
Emerald Lake is a 15-acre mesotrophic lake in Kent County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including Black crappie, Blacknose shiner, and Bluegill. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Kent County, Emerald Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Emerald Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing15 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 Emerald 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 Emerald Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Emerald 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. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.9 µg/L. TSI 43.
| 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 | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.9µg/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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Emerald Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
15 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Emerald Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Emerald Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Emerald Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.18 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.18 µg/L/yr6 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
9 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Emerald Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Kent Cdc MS4Grand Rapids · 3.1 mi away · NPDES MI0060112Recent violation
- Ibp FoodsGrand Rapids · 3.2 mi away · NPDES MIG250155Recent violation
- Spectrum-Gr-PlymouthGrand Rapids · 3.3 mi away · NPDES MIG250440Recent violation
- Grand Rapids MS4Grand Rapids · 4.9 mi away · NPDES MI0053872Recent violation
- Grand Rapids Twp MS4-KentGrand Rapids · 2.4 mi away · NPDES MI0060110
- Macdonalds Ind-Oak IndustrialGrand Rapids · 3.3 mi away · NPDES MI0057568
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 Kent County
Frequently asked questions about Emerald Lake
Where is Emerald Lake?
- Emerald Lake is a lake in Kent County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Emerald Lake?
- Emerald Lake in Kent County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Surface area: 14.7 acres.
Is Emerald Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Emerald Lake?
- Fish species found in Emerald Lake include Black crappie, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Green sunfish, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Walleye, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow perch. Emerald Lake is located in Kent County, Michigan.
Explore Emerald Lake across LakeQuality
16 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Kent County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
160 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_MICORPS160 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)