Lake Lancer
Gladwin County, Michigan977 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Lancer. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Lake Lancer in Gladwin County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Surface area: 977 acres.
Lake Lancer is a 977-acre lake in Gladwin County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Lancer covers about 980 acres in Gladwin County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lake Lancer, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lake Lancer is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Lancer 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 Lancer
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lake Lancer, 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 11 ft. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11ft | 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Lancer
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
977 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Lancer, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Lancer
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Lancer in Gladwin 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 Lancer
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 Lancer’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Lancer
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.43 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.08 µg/L/yr7 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Lancer is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Lancer Dam (completed 1976), built primarily for recreation on the Sugar River; earth-type dam, 36 ft tall and 7,175 ft long.
- Surface area
- 977 ac
- Normal storage
- 12,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 17,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 33.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Gladwin County Drain Commissioner
All listed purposes: Recreation;Other.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00471 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Gladwin County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Lancer
Where is Lake Lancer?
- Lake Lancer is a lake in Gladwin County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Lancer?
- Lake Lancer in Gladwin County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Surface area: 977 acres.
Is Lake Lancer safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Lake Lancer across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
49 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
NALMS49 samples · 2016–2021
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.