Lake Leelanau
Leelanau County, Michigan8,608 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Leelanau. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 62 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: 13.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 62 ft. Surface area: 8608.3 acres.
Lake Leelanau is a 8,608-acre lake in Leelanau County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 62 feet. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Lake herring. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Leelanau is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water62 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water8,608 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Leelanau is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. 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.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.5ft | 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. | 40 | 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.
Lake Details
Max depth
62 ft
Surface area
8,608 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- County Road 651 NPublic
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
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake Leelanau
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2016–2021).
Water clarity
Stable5 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 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601040102-01 · 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: 13.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 62 ft. Surface area: 8608.3 acres.
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 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Leelanau?
- Lake Leelanau has a maximum depth of 62 feet. The lake covers 8608.3 acres.
What fish are in Lake Leelanau?
- Fish species found in Lake Leelanau include Lake herring. Lake Leelanau is located in Leelanau County, Michigan.
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 County Road 651 N. 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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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Lake Leelanau is about 15 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
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Where this data comes from
127 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
NALMS127 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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory