Indian Lake
Kalamazoo County, MichiganView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Indian Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Indian Lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
Indian Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Lake herring. Public access is available. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Kalamazoo County, Indian Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2025-11-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Based on E. coli testing, Indian Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 11 samples across 8 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Michigan’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Indian 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 Indian Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Indian Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.2 ft. Phosphorus 37.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 37.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Indian Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Indian Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in Jan (about 38°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (38°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 722 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Indian Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Indian Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 10 years of monitoring (2016–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+12.25 µg/L/yr8 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.75 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Kalamazoo County
Frequently asked questions about Indian Lake
Where is Indian Lake?
- Indian Lake is a lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Indian Lake?
- Indian Lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
Is Indian Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Indian Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 11 samples across 8 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Indian Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Michigan's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Indian Lake?
- Indian Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October, from 722 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What fish are in Indian Lake?
- Fish species found in Indian Lake include Lake herring. Indian Lake is located in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Indian Lake?
- Public access to Indian Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Indian Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
473 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan (Gun Lake)
GNLK01_WQX473 samples · 2016–2025
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity in Water
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.