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LakeQuality

Lake Margrethe

Crawford County, Michigan1,920 acresView mapDirections

NR
Not rated

Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
16 ft
Secchi · sampled 2021
Max depth
65 ft
Bathymetric survey
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Stable
7 years of samples
  • Impaired · Mercury
  • 65 ft max depth
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Lake Margrethe in Crawford County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 1919.7 acres.

Clarity
16 ft
Max depth
65 ft
Area
1,920 acres
Trend
Stable
Public access
Yes
Loading map…

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Stays near Lake Margrethe

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Watch Lake Margrethe’s letter

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Why Lake Margrethe has no grade

Lake Margrethe has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Lake Margrethe is Not Rated — not an F. Its 16-foot median from 51 readings collected 2016–2021 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.

Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Lake Margrethe is a 1,920-acre lake in Crawford County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 65 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 21 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, and Brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Lake Margrethe is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water16 ft of visibility
  • Boat launch1 documented ramp
  • Fishing21 species recorded
  • Deep water65 ft surveyed max depth
  • Big water1,920 acres

Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Margrethe is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Traverse City

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Water quality measurements for Lake Margrethe

These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.

Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. TSI 37.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)16 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)37Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth65 ft
Surface Area1,920 acres
Public AccessYes

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Lake Margrethe (West)Public

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Lake Margrethe

Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.982 m/yr6
Phosphorus Declining+0.35 µg/L/yr5
Chlorophyll-a Stable0 µg/L/yr3
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Lake Margrethe is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

MercuryPFAS

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601030104-04 · Official waterbody report

Graded lakes near Lake Margrethe

Lake Margrethe has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

Nearby Lakes in Crawford County

Frequently asked questions about Lake Margrethe

Where is Lake Margrethe?

Lake Margrethe is a lake in Crawford County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.

What is the water quality grade for Lake Margrethe?

Lake Margrethe in Crawford County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 1919.7 acres.

Is Lake Margrethe safe to swim in?

The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Margrethe is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.

How deep is Lake Margrethe?

Lake Margrethe has a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake covers 1919.7 acres.

What fish are in Lake Margrethe?

Fish species found in Lake Margrethe include Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow, Common shiner, Creek chub, Johnny darter, Largemouth bass, Mimic shiner, Northern logperch, Northern longear sunfish, Northern pike, Northern redbelly dace, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Smallmouth bass, Spottail shiner, Walleye, White sucker, Yellow perch. Lake Margrethe is located in Crawford County, Michigan.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Margrethe?

Lake Margrethe has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Margrethe (West). Public access is listed as yes.

Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan

Where this data comes from

51 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 SocietyNALMS51 samples · 2016–2021
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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