Emily Lake
Houghton County, Michigan60 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from EGLE for this lake.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 80 ft max depth
- Public access
Emily Lake in Houghton County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 59.8 acres.
Water clarity at Emily Lake
Moderate clarity. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, Emily Lake averaged 2.3 m (8 ft) of visibility down into the water, so visibility is middling in midsummer, which is ordinary for a productive inland lake.
Nobody has taken a water sample here that we can find. Michigan's environmental agency measures clarity on lakes like this one from satellite images instead, which is why this page reports how clear the water is and no phosphorus or algae readings.
Clear is not the same as clean. A lake can be easy to see through and still carry high nutrient levels, and a naturally tea-stained lake can be perfectly healthy. The nutrient and algae readings on other lakes come from phosphorus and chlorophyll-a measured in a laboratory, and clarity alone cannot stand in for them.
The same satellite images put summer algae here at roughly 4.68 micrograms per litre. Estimating algae from orbit is far less exact than measuring clarity, so that figure is worth knowing and is not part of any rating.
Emily Lake is a 60-acre lake in Houghton County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 80 feet (15-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Emily Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water80 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingNot rated
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Emily Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Emily 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 Emily Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Emily Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. TSI undefined.
Ask about Emily Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
80 ft
Average depth
15 ft
Surface area
60 acres
Shoreline
1.6 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Emily Lake Forest State CampgroundPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Emily Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Emily Lake in Houghton County, Michigan — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Emily Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Follow Emily Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Emily Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Emily Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040201040207-04 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Houghton County
Frequently asked questions about Emily Lake
Where is Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake is a lake in Houghton County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake in Houghton County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 59.8 acres.
Is Emily Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Emily Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake has a maximum depth of 80 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 59.8 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Emily Lake Forest State Campground. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Emily Lake?
- Emily 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 Emily Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Upper Peninsula area
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
Measurements for Emily Lake come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory