Emerald Lake
Newaygo County, MichiganView 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
- 49 ft max depth
- Limited data
Emerald Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 49 ft.
- Clarity
- 13.5 ft
- Max depth
- 49 ft
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Emerald Lake
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Watch Emerald Lake’s letter
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Why Emerald Lake has no grade
Emerald 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, Emerald Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 13.5-foot median from 85 readings collected 2016–2022 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.
Emerald Lake is a lake in Newaygo County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 49 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including Black crappie, Blacknose shiner, and Bluegill.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Emerald Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Deep water49 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Emerald Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Emerald Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft. TSI 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 49 ft |
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Emerald Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 8 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.04 m/yr | 8 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.5 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.15 µg/L/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Emerald Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601020903-07 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Newaygo County
Frequently asked questions about Emerald Lake
Where is Emerald Lake?
- Emerald Lake is a lake in Newaygo 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 Emerald Lake?
- Emerald Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 49 ft.
Is Emerald Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Emerald Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Emerald Lake?
- Emerald Lake has a maximum depth of 49 feet.
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 Newaygo County, Michigan.
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Where this data comes from
85 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS85 samples · 2016–2022
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