Lake Macatawa
Ottawa County, Michigan1,808 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Macatawa. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Macatawa in Ottawa County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 1808.2 acres.
Lake Macatawa is a 1,808-acre lake in Ottawa County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Round whitefish, Shorthead redhorse, and Silver redhorse. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2018-08-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Macatawa is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,808 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Macatawa is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Macatawa 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 Macatawa
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lake Macatawa, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. TSI 62.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | 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. | 62 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Macatawa
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
1,808 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
177 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
14.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
568 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Macatawa
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake Macatawa
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Macatawa 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: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040500020408-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ottawa County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Macatawa
Where is Lake Macatawa?
- Lake Macatawa is a lake in Ottawa County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Macatawa?
- Lake Macatawa in Ottawa County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 1808.2 acres.
Is Lake Macatawa safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Macatawa is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Macatawa?
- Lake Macatawa has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 1808.2 acres.
What fish are in Lake Macatawa?
- Fish species found in Lake Macatawa include Round whitefish, Shorthead redhorse, Silver redhorse. Lake Macatawa is located in Ottawa County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Lake Macatawa?
- Public access to Lake Macatawa is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS1 sample · 2018
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)