Lake of the Woods
Branch County, Michigan334 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake of the Woods. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- 70 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake of the Woods in Branch County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 334 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lake of the Woods, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 70 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Lake of the Woods is a 334-acre lake in Branch County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 70 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, and Bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake of the Woods is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Deep water70 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake of the Woods is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake of the Woods 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 of the Woods
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lake of the Woods, 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 10 ft. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10ft | 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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake of the Woods
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
70 ft
Surface area
334 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake of the Woods
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake of the Woods
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2019–2023).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.5 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lake of the Woods 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.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040500010107-02 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Branch County
Frequently asked questions about Lake of the Woods
Where is Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods is a lake in Branch County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods in Branch County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 334 acres.
Is Lake of the Woods safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake of the Woods is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The lake covers 334 acres.
What fish are in Lake of the Woods?
- Fish species found in Lake of the Woods include Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Central mudminnow, Grass pickerel, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Least darter, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Redear sunfish, Spotted gar, Tadpole madtom, Western banded killifish, Yellow perch. Lake of the Woods is located in Branch County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Lake of the Woods?
- Public access to Lake of the Woods 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
52 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2019–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS52 samples · 2019–2022
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