Glen Lake
Leelanau County, Michigan6,289 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Glen Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 130 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Glen Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 130 ft. Surface area: 6289 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Glen Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 130 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Glen Lake is a 6,289-acre lake in Leelanau County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 130 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Lake herring. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 6,300 acres, Glen Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Glen Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Glen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water130 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water6,289 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Glen Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Glen 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 Glen Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Glen Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Glen Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
130 ft
Surface area
6,289 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Glen LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Glen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Glen Lake in Leelanau 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 Glen Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Glen Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 8 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving8 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.25 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable0 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Glen Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601040402-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Leelanau County
Frequently asked questions about Glen Lake
Where is Glen Lake?
- Glen Lake is a lake in Leelanau County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Glen Lake?
- Glen Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 130 ft. Surface area: 6289 acres.
Is Glen Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Glen Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Glen Lake?
- Glen Lake has a maximum depth of 130 feet. The lake covers 6289 acres.
What fish are in Glen Lake?
- Fish species found in Glen Lake include Lake herring. Glen Lake is located in Leelanau County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Glen Lake?
- Glen Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Glen Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Glen Lake?
- Glen 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 Glen Lake across LakeQuality
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Glen Lake is about 5 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 lakes in Michigan
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Where this data comes from
224 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
NALMS224 samples · 2016–2022
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory