Lake Mitchell
Wexford County, Michigan2,644 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Mitchell. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 22 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Mitchell in Wexford County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 2643.7 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lake Mitchell, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 22 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Lake Mitchell is a 2,644-acre lake in Wexford County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 22 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Mitchell covers about 2,600 acres in Wexford County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lake Mitchell on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Lake Mitchell is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water2,644 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Mitchell is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Mitchell 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 Mitchell
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lake Mitchell, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.5ft | 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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Mitchell
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
22 ft
Surface area
2,644 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Hemlock CampgroundPublic
- William Mitchell State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Lake Mitchell
- Hemlock Recreation Area2.4 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Mitchell
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Mitchell in Wexford 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 Mitchell
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Lake Mitchell
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2017–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Mitchell 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 MI040601020302-05 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Wexford County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Mitchell
Where is Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell is a lake in Wexford County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell in Wexford County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 2643.7 acres.
Is Lake Mitchell safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Mitchell is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell has a maximum depth of 22 feet. The lake covers 2643.7 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hemlock Campground, William Mitchell State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell has 2 documented boat landings 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.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Hemlock Recreation Area. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Lake Mitchell across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS10 samples · 2022
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles