Lake Desor
Keweenaw County, Michigan1,060 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Desor. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 50 ft max depth
Lake Desor in Keweenaw County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.7 µg/L. Surface area: 1060.2 acres.
Lake Desor is a 1,060-acre mesotrophic lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 50 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Lake whitefish. Compared to the 10 other monitored lakes in Keweenaw County, Lake Desor ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-08-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Desor is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water1,060 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Desor 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 Desor
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lake Desor, 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 11.7 µg/L. TSI 44.
| 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 | 11.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| 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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Desor
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Desor typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 66°F) and coldest in May (about 45°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (45°F) to its warmest (66°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 989 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Desor water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~50 ft est.
Surface area
1,060 acres
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Lake Desor.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
8.7 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
843 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Lake Desor
- S. Lake Desor0.7 km
- N. Lake Desor1.3 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Desor
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Desor in Keweenaw 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 Desor
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Lake Desor’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake Desor
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 9 years of monitoring (2016–2024).
Water clarity
Improving9 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.71 µg/L/yr9 years
Nearby Lakes in Keweenaw County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Desor
Where is Lake Desor?
- Lake Desor is a lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Desor?
- Lake Desor in Keweenaw County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.7 µg/L. Surface area: 1060.2 acres.
Is Lake Desor safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Desor?
- Lake Desor typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 989 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Desor?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Desor, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 50 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 1060.2 acres.
What fish are in Lake Desor?
- Fish species found in Lake Desor include Lake whitefish. Lake Desor is located in Keweenaw County, Michigan.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Desor?
- Lake Desor has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including S. Lake Desor, N. Lake Desor. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Lake Desor across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX52 samples · 2016–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi Disk
- Alkaline Persulfate Digestion for Total N and P 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.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles