Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Harper Lake

Lake County, Michigan83 acresView mapDirections

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from EGLE for this lake.

Max depth
59 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
83 acres
Surface area
Shoreline
1 mi
Measured length
  • 59 ft max depth
  • Public access

Harper Lake in Lake County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 59 ft. Surface area: 83.1 acres.

Loading map…

Water clarity at Harper Lake

Clear water. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, Harper Lake averaged 4.77 m (16 ft) of visibility down into the water, so you can typically see several feet down in midsummer.

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 3.3 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.

Harper Lake is a 83-acre lake in Lake County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 59 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 Harper Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch1 documented ramp
  • Deep water59 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Harper 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.

Compare swimming lakes near Traverse City →

Get alerts for Harper Lake →

Water quality measurements for Harper Lake

These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Harper 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 Harper Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

59 ft

Average depth

15 ft

Surface area

83 acres

Shoreline

1 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by EGLE

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Harper 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 Harper Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Harper Lake in Lake 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 Harper 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 Harper Lake’s readings

Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.


Or email

Fishing Harper Lake

Nearby Lakes in Lake County

Frequently asked questions about Harper Lake

Where is Harper Lake?

Harper Lake is a lake in Lake County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Harper Lake?

Harper Lake in Lake County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 59 ft. Surface area: 83.1 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Harper Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

How deep is Harper Lake?

Harper Lake has a maximum depth of 59 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 83.1 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Harper Lake?

Harper Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Harper Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Access on this page ↑

Can I fish at Harper Lake?

Harper 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.

Access on this page ↑

Where this data comes from

Measurements for Harper Lake come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.

Other records on this page

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory