Lake Leelanau
Leelanau County, MichiganView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Leelanau. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Leelanau in Leelanau County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.1 µg/L.
Lake Leelanau is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Leelanau County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Leelanau County, Lake Leelanau ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-08-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Leelanau has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lake Leelanau on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Lake Leelanau is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Lake Leelanau is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Leelanau 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 Leelanau
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lake Leelanau, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.1 µg/L. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.1µg/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. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lake Leelanau
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Leelanau typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 58°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 61°F) and coldest in May (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (61°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,893 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Leelanau water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~43 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
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 Leelanau.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
141 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
2,827 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
14.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
577 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
- Township ParkPublic
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 Leelanau
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Leelanau in Leelanau 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 Leelanau
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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Leelanau → · more Michigan lake trips
Follow Lake Leelanau’s readings
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Fishing Lake Leelanau
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2016–2021).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.14 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.09 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Leelanau 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 MI040601040103-04 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Leelanau County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Leelanau
Where is Lake Leelanau?
- Lake Leelanau is a lake in Leelanau County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Leelanau?
- Lake Leelanau in Leelanau County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.1 µg/L.
Is Lake Leelanau safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Leelanau is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Leelanau?
- Lake Leelanau typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September, from 1,893 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Leelanau?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Leelanau, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Leelanau?
- Lake Leelanau has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Township Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Leelanau?
- Lake Leelanau 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 Leelanau across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Leelanau County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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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 Leelanau is about 16 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
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
82 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS82 samples · 2016–2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory