Higgins Lake
Roscommon County, Michigan10,187 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 · Mercury
- Limited data
Higgins Lake in Roscommon County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 34 ft visibility. Surface area: 10187.1 acres.
- Clarity
- 34 ft
- Area
- 10,187 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Higgins Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Higgins Lake in Roscommon 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 Higgins Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 →
Watch Higgins Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Free interactive depth-contour map of Higgins Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 130 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Higgins Lake has no grade
Higgins 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, Higgins Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 34-foot median from 76 readings collected 2016–2021 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.
Higgins Lake is a 10,187-acre lake in Roscommon County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Lake herring, Lake whitefish, and Mottled sculpin.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Higgins Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water34 ft of visibility
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Big water10,187 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Higgins Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Higgins Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 34 ft down. TSI 26.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 34 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 26 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 5:00 AM from gauge 442805084411001 (Higgins Lake Near Roscommon, MI). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 10,187 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Higgins Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Higgins Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.268 m/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Higgins Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601020101-02 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Higgins Lake
Higgins Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Roscommon County
Frequently asked questions about Higgins Lake
Where is Higgins Lake?
- Higgins Lake is a lake in Roscommon 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 Higgins Lake?
- Higgins Lake in Roscommon County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 34 ft visibility. Surface area: 10187.1 acres.
Is Higgins Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Higgins Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Higgins Lake?
- Fish species found in Higgins Lake include Lake herring, Lake whitefish, Mottled sculpin. Higgins Lake is located in Roscommon County, Michigan.
What is the water level at Higgins Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Higgins Lake is 1153.9 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 5:00 AM at gauge 442805084411001. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Explore Higgins Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Roscommon County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its grade
Michigan's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Michigan
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
76 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS76 samples · 2016–2021
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