Lake Bellaire
Antrim County, Michigan1,520 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Bellaire. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 95 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Bellaire in Antrim County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 95 ft. Surface area: 1520 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lake Bellaire, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 95 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Lake Bellaire is a 1,520-acre lake in Antrim County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 95 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 22 documented fish species including Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, and Bluntnose minnow. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-08-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Bellaire covers about 1,500 acres in Antrim County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lake Bellaire, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lake Bellaire is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing22 species recorded
- Deep water95 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,520 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Bellaire is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Bellaire 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 Lake Bellaire
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lake Bellaire, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.5ft | 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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Bellaire
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
95 ft
Surface area
1,520 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Lake Bellaire (West)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Bellaire
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Bellaire in Antrim 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 Lake Bellaire
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake Bellaire
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2016–2022).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.18 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Bellaire is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bellaire Dam (completed 1906), built primarily for recreation on the Intermediate River; earth-type dam, 18 ft tall and 213 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,520 ac
- Normal storage
- 6,210 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 12,180 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 145.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Antrim County Board of Public Works
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00435 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Bellaire is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601050304-08 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Bellaire under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Bellaire WwtpBellaire · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MI0044873Recent violation
- Northen A-1 ServicesBellaire · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MIG080975
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.
Nearby Lakes in Antrim County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Bellaire
Where is Lake Bellaire?
- Lake Bellaire is a lake in Antrim County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Bellaire?
- Lake Bellaire in Antrim County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 95 ft. Surface area: 1520 acres.
Is Lake Bellaire safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Bellaire is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Bellaire?
- Lake Bellaire has a maximum depth of 95 feet. The lake covers 1520 acres.
What fish are in Lake Bellaire?
- Fish species found in Lake Bellaire include Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Common shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Lake trout, Largemouth bass, Longnose gar, Northern logperch, Northern longear sunfish, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rainbow smelt, Rock bass, Rosyface shiner, Sand shiner, Smallmouth bass, Walleye, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow perch. Lake Bellaire is located in Antrim County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Bellaire?
- Lake Bellaire has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Bellaire (West). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Bellaire?
- Lake Bellaire 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 Lake Bellaire across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Antrim County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Grand Traverse Region area
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Lake Bellaire is about 39 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
Other Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
53 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
NALMS53 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory