Florence Lake
Leelanau County, Michigan78 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- #8 of 12 in the county
- 43 ft max depth
Florence Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.6 µg/L. Surface area: 77.6 acres.
- Clarity
- 8.2 ft
- Typical in September
- 69°F
- Max depth
- ~43 ft est.
- Area
- 78 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 16.6 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
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Stays near Florence Lake
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Florence Lake is a 78-acre mesotrophic lake in Leelanau County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Leelanau County, Florence Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-09-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Florence Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping4 public campgrounds nearby
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.2 ft. Phosphorus 16.6 µg/L. TSI 46. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16.6 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Florence Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Jun (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 531 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Florence Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~43 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 78 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 Florence 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.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Florence Lake
- Weather Station1.1 km
- Campground1.6 km
- Bay1.7 km
- Popple4.0 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Florence Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 9 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.083 m/yr | 9 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.69 µg/L/yr | 9 |
County Ranking
Ranked #8 of 12 lakes in Leelanau County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Florence Lake holds Grade B. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Leelanau County
Frequently asked questions about Florence Lake
Where is Florence Lake?
- Florence Lake is a lake in Leelanau County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Florence Lake?
- Florence Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.6 µg/L. Surface area: 77.6 acres.
Is Florence Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Florence Lake?
- Florence Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 531 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Florence Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Florence Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 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 77.6 acres.
Are there campgrounds on Florence Lake?
- Florence Lake has 4 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Weather Station, Campground, Bay, Popple. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Florence Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Leelanau County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Florence Lake is about 7 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 B Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
58 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX58 samples · 2016–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi Disk
- Alkaline Persulfate Digestion for Total N and P in Water
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)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles