Fisher Lake
Leelanau County, Michigan58 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- #7 of 12 in the county
- 21 ft max depth
Fisher Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1 µg/L. Surface area: 57.5 acres.
- Max depth
- ~21 ft est.
- Area
- 58 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Fisher Lake’s letter
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Fisher Lake is a 58-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Leelanau County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 21 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 11 other monitored lakes in Leelanau County, Fisher Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1 µg/L. TSI 34. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~21 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~9 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 58 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Fisher Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Fisher Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.27 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.01 µg/L/yr | 7 |
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 12 lakes in Leelanau County
Nearby Lakes in Leelanau County
Frequently asked questions about Fisher Lake
Where is Fisher Lake?
- Fisher Lake is a lake in Leelanau County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Fisher Lake?
- Fisher Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1 µg/L. Surface area: 57.5 acres.
Is Fisher Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Fisher Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fisher Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 21 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 57.5 acres.
Explore Fisher Lake across LakeQuality
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Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Fisher Lake is about 4 miles from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes →More Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Michigan
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
49 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_MICORPS49 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.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)