Great Bear Lake
Van Buren County, Michigan166 acresView 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 · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 58 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Great Bear Lake in Van Buren County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 166.2 acres.
- Clarity
- 6.5 ft
- Max depth
- 58 ft
- Area
- 166 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Great Bear Lake’s letter
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Why Great Bear Lake has no grade
Great Bear 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, Great Bear Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 6.5-foot median from 46 readings collected 2021–2023 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.
Great Bear Lake is a 166-acre lake in Van Buren County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 58 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Great Bear Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water58 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Great Bear Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Great Bear Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft. TSI 50.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 50 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 58 ft |
| Surface Area | 166 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fishing Great Bear Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.705 m/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Great Bear 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 MI040500020206-03 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.56 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Great Bear Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Bloomingdale Village WwtpBloomingdale · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MI0058842Recent violation
- Pullman Industries IncBloomingdale · 2.6 mi away · NPDES MIG250384Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Graded lakes near Great Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Van Buren County
Frequently asked questions about Great Bear Lake
Where is Great Bear Lake?
- Great Bear Lake is a lake in Van Buren 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 Great Bear Lake?
- Great Bear Lake in Van Buren County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 166.2 acres.
Is Great Bear Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Great Bear Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Great Bear Lake?
- Great Bear Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake covers 166.2 acres.
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Where this data comes from
46 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS46 samples · 2021–2023
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)